84278 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 5, 2023 / Proposed Rules 

reduce wildfire risks to breeding and 

upland habitats of the northern DPS and 

southern DPS of the western spadefoot 

and consistent with the State of 

California fire codes or local fire codes/ 

ordinances. 

(D) Fire management actions (e.g., 

prescribed burns, hazardous fuel 

reduction activities, and maintenance of 

fuel breaks) to maintain, protect, or 

enhance habitat occupied by the 

northern DPS and southern DPS of the 

western spadefoot. 

* * * * * 

Martha Williams, 

Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26579 Filed 12–4–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 4333–15–P 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

50 CFR Part 679 

[Docket No. 231130–0283; RTID 0648– 

XD454] 

Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic 

Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands; Proposed 2024 and 

2025 Harvest Specifications for 

Groundfish 

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries 

Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), 

Commerce. 

ACTION: Proposed rule; harvest 

specifications and request for 

comments. 

SUMMARY: NMFS proposes 2024 and 

2025 harvest specifications, 

apportionments, and prohibited species 

catch allowances for the groundfish 

fisheries of the Bering Sea and Aleutian 

Islands (BSAI) management area. This 

action is necessary to establish harvest 

limits for groundfish during the 2024 

and 2025 fishing years and to 

accomplish the goals and objectives of 

the Fishery Management Plan for 

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and 

Aleutian Islands Management Area 

(FMP). The 2024 harvest specifications 

supersede those previously set in the 

final 2023 and 2024 harvest 

specifications, and the 2025 harvest 

specifications will be superseded in 

early 2025 when the final 2025 and 

2026 harvest specifications are 

published. The intended effect of this 

action is to conserve and manage the 

groundfish resources in the BSAI in 

accordance with the Magnuson-Stevens 

Fishery Conservation and Management 

Act (Magnuson-Stevens Act). 

DATES: Comments must be received by 

January 4, 2024. 

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments, 

identified by NOAA–NMFS–2023–0124, 

by either of the following methods: 

• Electronic Submission: Submit all 

electronic public comments via the 

Federal e-Rulemaking Portal. Go to 

https://www.regulations.gov and enter 

NOAA–NMFS–2023–0124 in the Search 

box. Click on the ‘‘Comment’’ icon, 

complete the required fields, and enter 

or attach your comments. 

• Mail: Submit written comments to 

Gretchen Harrington, Assistant Regional 

Administrator, Sustainable Fisheries 

Division, Alaska Region NMFS, Attn: 

Records Office. Mail comments to P.O. 

Box 21668, Juneau, AK 99802–1668. 

Instructions: Comments sent by any 

other method, to any other address or 

individual, or received after the end of 

the comment period, may not be 

considered by NMFS. All comments 

received are a part of the public record, 

and NMFS will post the comments for 

public viewing on https://

www.regulations.gov without change. 

All personal identifying information 

(e.g., name, address, etc.), confidential 

business information, or otherwise 

sensitive information submitted 

voluntarily by the sender is publicly 

accessible. NMFS will accept 

anonymous comments (enter ‘‘N/A’’ in 

the required fields if you wish to remain 

anonymous). 

Electronic copies of the Alaska 

Groundfish Harvest Specifications Final 

Environmental Impact Statement (Final 

EIS), Record of Decision (ROD) for the 

Final EIS, and the annual 

Supplementary Information Reports 

(SIR) to the Final EIS prepared for this 

action are available from https://

www.regulations.gov. An updated 2024 

SIR for the final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications will be available from the 

same source. The final 2022 Stock 

Assessment and Fishery Evaluation 

(SAFE) report for the groundfish 

resources of the BSAI, dated November 

2022, is available from the North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council (Council) 

at 1007 West 3rd Ave., Suite 400, 

Anchorage, Alaska 99501, phone 907– 

271–2809, or from the Council’s website 

at https://www.npfmc.org/. The 2023 

SAFE report for the BSAI will be 

available from the same source. 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: 

Steve Whitney, 907–586–7228. 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 

Background 

Federal regulations at 50 CFR part 679 

implement the FMP and govern the 

groundfish fisheries in the BSAI. The 

Council prepared the FMP, and NMFS 

approved it, pursuant to the MagnusonStevens Act. General regulations 

governing U.S. fisheries also appear at 

50 CFR part 600. 

The FMP and its implementing 

regulations require that NMFS, after 

consultation with the North Pacific 

Fishery Management Council (Council), 

specify annually the total allowable 

catch (TAC) for each target species 

category. The sum of TACs for all 

groundfish species in the BSAI must be 

within the optimum yield (OY) range of 

1.4 million to 2.0 million metric tons 

(mt) (see §§ 679.20(a)(1)(i)(A) and 

679.20(a)(2)). Section 679.20(c)(1) 

further requires that NMFS publish 

proposed harvest specifications in the 

Federal Register and solicit public 

comments on proposed annual TACs for 

each target species and apportionments 

thereof; prohibited species catch (PSC) 

allowances; prohibited species quota 

(PSQ) reserves established by § 679.21; 

seasonal allowances of pollock, Pacific 

cod, and Atka mackerel TAC; American 

Fisheries Act allocations; Amendment 

80 allocations; Community 

Development Quota (CDQ) reserve 

amounts established by 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii); and acceptable 

biological catch (ABC) surpluses and 

reserves for CDQ groups and 

Amendment 80 cooperatives for 

flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin 

sole. The proposed harvest 

specifications set forth in Tables 1–16 of 

this action satisfy these requirements. 

Under § 679.20(c)(3), NMFS will 

publish the final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications after (1) considering 

comments received within the comment 

period (see DATES), (2) consulting with 

the Council at its December 2023 

meeting, (3) considering information 

presented in the 2024 SIR to the Final 

EIS that assesses the need to prepare a 

Supplemental EIS (see ADDRESSES), and 

(4) considering information presented in 

the final 2023 SAFE report prepared for 

the 2024 and 2025 groundfish fisheries. 

Other Actions Affecting or Potentially 

Affecting the 2024 and 2025 Harvest 

Specifications 

Halibut Abundance-Based Management 

for the Amendment 80 Program PSC 

Limit 

On December 9, 2022, NMFS 

published a proposed rule associated 

with Amendment 123 to the FMP (87 FR 

75570), which would establish 

abundance-based management of 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 5, 2023 / Proposed Rules 84279 

Amendment 80 Program PSC for Pacific 

halibut. Upon publication of the final 

rule associated with Amendment 123 

(publication is pending in November 

2023), the regulations implementing 

Amendment 123 will replace the 

current Amendment 80 sector static 

halibut PSC limit (1,745 mt) with a 

process for annually setting the 

Amendment 80 sector halibut PSC limit 

based on the most recent halibut 

abundance estimates from the 

International Pacific Halibut 

Commission (IPHC) setline survey index 

and the NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science 

Center (AFSC) Eastern Bering Sea shelf 

trawl survey index. The annual process 

uses a table with pre-established halibut 

abundance ranges from those surveys. 

The annual Amendment 80 sector 

halibut PSC limit will be set at the value 

found at the intercept of the results from 

the most recent survey indices. NMFS 

will calculate the Amendment 80 sector 

halibut PSC limit, as well as the total 

halibut PSC limit, in the final 2024 and 

2025 harvest specifications. 

Pacific Cod Trawl Cooperative Limited 

Access Privilege Program 

On August 8, 2023, NMFS published 

a final rule to implement Amendment 

122 to the FMP (88 FR 53704, effective 

September 7, 2023) (see also a 

correction published at 88 FR 57009, 

August 22, 2023). The final rule 

establishes a limited access privilege 

program called the Pacific Cod Trawl 

Cooperative (PCTC) Program. The PCTC 

Program allocates Pacific cod quota 

share (QS) to groundfish License 

Limitation Program license holders and 

to processors based on history during 

the qualifying years. Under this 

program, QS holders are required to join 

cooperatives annually. Cooperatives are 

allocated the BSAI trawl catcher vessel 

sector’s A and B seasons Pacific cod 

allocation as an exclusive harvest 

privilege in the form of cooperative 

quota, equivalent to the aggregate QS of 

all cooperative members. Amendment 

122 also reduces the halibut and crab 

PSC limits for the BSAI trawl catcher 

vessel (CV) Pacific cod fishery. 

Accordingly, Amendment 122 and its 

implementing regulations affect the 

calculation of the BSAI trawl CV sector 

allocation of Pacific cod (discussed in a 

subsequent section of this rule titled 

Allocation of the Pacific Cod TAC) and 

the BSAI trawl limited access sector 

crab and halibut PSC limits (discussed 

in a subsequent section of this rule 

titled Proposed PSC Limits for Halibut, 

Salmon, Crab, and Herring). 

Amendment 122 also removed the 

regulations at § 679.20(a)(7)(viii) for 

Amendment 113 to the FMP because the 

U.S. District Court for the District of 

Columbia vacated the rule 

implementing Amendment 113 

(Groundfish Forum v. Ross, 375 

F.Supp.3d 72 (D.D.C. 2019)). 

State of Alaska Guideline Harvest Levels 

For 2024 and 2025, the Board of 

Fisheries (BOF) for the State of Alaska 

(State) established the guideline harvest 

level (GHL) for vessels using pot, 

longline, jig, and hand troll gear in State 

waters in the State’s Aleutian Islands 

subarea (AI) State-waters sablefish 

registration area that includes all State 

waters west of Scotch Cap Light 

(164°44.72′ W longitude) and south of 

Cape Sarichef (54°36′ N latitude). The 

2024 AI GHL is set at 5 percent of the 

combined proposed 2024 Bering Sea 

(BS) subarea and AI ABC (1,025 mt). 

The State’s AI sablefish registration area 

includes areas adjacent to parts of the 

Federal BS subarea. Since most of the 

State’s 2024 and 2025 GHL sablefish 

fishery is expected to occur in State 

waters adjacent to the Federal BS 

subarea, the Council and its BSAI 

Groundfish Plan Team (Plan Team), 

Scientific and Statistical Committee 

(SSC), and Advisory Panel (AP) 

recommended that the sum of all State 

and Federal sablefish removals from the 

BS and AI not exceed the proposed ABC 

recommendations for sablefish in the BS 

and AI. 

Accordingly, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS proposes, 

that the 2024 and 2025 sablefish TACs 

in the BS and AI account for the State’s 

GHLs for sablefish caught in State 

waters. 

For 2024 and 2025, the BOF for the 

State established the GHL for vessels 

using pot gear in State waters in the BS 

equal to 12 percent of the Pacific cod 

ABC in the BS. The BS GHL will 

increase by one percent if 90 percent of 

the GHL is harvested by November 15 

of the preceding year for two 

consecutive years but may not exceed 

15 percent of the BS ABC. If 90 percent 

of the GHL is not harvested by 

November 15 of the preceding year for 

two consecutive years, the GHL will 

decrease by 1 percent, but the GHL may 

not decrease below 10 percent of the BS 

ABC. Based on harvest in 2022 and 

2023, the GHL likely will remain at 12 

percent in 2024. NMFS will account for 

any adjustment to the GHL in the final 

2024 and 2025 harvest specifications. 

For 2024 and 2025, 12 percent of the 

proposed BS ABC is 16,819 mt. Also, for 

2024 and 2025, the BOF established an 

additional GHL for vessels using jig gear 

in State waters in the BS equal to 45 mt 

of Pacific cod in the BS. The Council 

and its Plan Team, SSC, and AP 

recommended that the sum of all State 

and Federal waters Pacific cod removals 

from the BS not exceed the ABC 

recommendations for Pacific cod in the 

BS. Accordingly, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS proposes, 

that the 2024 and 2025 Pacific cod TACs 

in the BS account for the State’s GHLs 

(total 16,864 mt) for Pacific cod caught 

in State waters in the BS. 

For 2024 and 2025, the BOF for the 

State established the GHL in State 

waters in the AI be equal to 39 percent 

of the AI ABC. The AI GHL will increase 

annually by 4 percent of the AI ABC if 

90 percent of the GHL is harvested by 

November 15 of the preceding year but 

may not exceed 39 percent of the AI 

ABC or 15 million pounds (lbs) (6,804 

mt). If 90 percent of the GHL is not 

harvested by November 15 of the 

preceding year for two consecutive 

years, the GHL will decrease by 4 

percent, but the GHL may not decrease 

below 15 percent of the AI ABC. Based 

on harvest in 2022 and 2023, the GHL 

likely will decrease to 35 percent in 

2024. NMFS will account for any 

adjustment to the GHL in the final 2024 

and 2025 harvest specifications. For 

2024 and 2025, 39 percent of the 

proposed AI ABC is 5,387 mt. The 

Council and its Plan Team, SSC, and AP 

recommended that the sum of all State 

and Federal Pacific cod removals from 

the AI not exceed the ABC 

recommendations for Pacific cod in the 

AI. 

Accordingly, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS proposes, 

that the 2024 and 2025 Pacific cod TACs 

in the AI account for the State’s GHL for 

Pacific cod caught in State waters in the 

AI. 

Proposed ABC and TAC Harvest 

Specifications 

In October 2023, the Council’s SSC, 

its AP, and the Council reviewed the 

most recent biological and harvest 

information on the condition of the 

BSAI groundfish stocks. The Plan Team 

compiled and presented this 

information in the final 2022 SAFE 

report for the BSAI groundfish fisheries, 

dated November 2022 (see ADDRESSES). 

The final 2023 SAFE report, including 

individual stock assessments, will be 

available from the same source and from 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

population-assessments/north-pacificgroundfish-stock-assessment-andfishery-evaluation. 

The proposed 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications are based on the final 

2024 harvest specifications published in 

March 2023 (88 FR 14926, March 10, 

2023), which were set after 

consideration of the most recent 2022 


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84280 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 5, 2023 / Proposed Rules 

SAFE report and are based on the initial 

survey data that were presented at the 

September 2023 Plan Team meeting. 

The SAFE report contains a review of 

the latest scientific analyses and 

estimates of each species’ biomass and 

other biological parameters including 

possible future condition of the stocks, 

as well as summaries of the available 

information on the BS and AI 

ecosystems and the economic condition 

of the groundfish fisheries off Alaska. 

The SAFE report provides information 

to the Council and NMFS for 

recommending and setting, respectively, 

annual harvest levels for each stock, 

documenting significant trends or 

changes in the resource, marine 

ecosystems, and fisheries over time, and 

assessing the relative success of existing 

Federal fishery management programs. 

An appendix to the SAFE report is the 

Ecosystem Status Reports (ESRs). The 

ESRs compile and summarize 

information about the status of the 

Alaska marine ecosystems for the SSC, 

AP, Council, NMFS, and the public, and 

they are updated annually. These ESRs 

include ecosystem report cards, 

ecosystem assessments, and ecosystem 

status indicators (i.e., climate indices, 

sea surface temperature), which together 

provide context for ecosystem-based 

fisheries management in Alaska. The 

ESRs inform stock assessments and are 

integrated in the annual harvest 

recommendations through inclusion in 

stock assessment-specific risk tables. 

Also, the ESRs provide context for the 

SSC’s recommendations for overfishing 

levels (OFL) and ABCs, as well as for 

the Council’s TAC recommendations. 

The SAFE reports and the ESRs are 

presented at the October and December 

Council meetings before the SSC, AP, 

and the Council make groundfish 

harvest recommendations and aid 

NMFS in implementing these annual 

groundfish harvest specifications. 

In addition to the 2022 SAFE report, 

the Plan Team, SSC, and Council also 

reviewed preliminary survey data from 

2023 surveys, updates on ecological and 

socioeconomic profiles for certain 

species, and summaries of potential 

changes to models and methodologies. 

From these data and analyses, the Plan 

Team recommends, and the SSC sets, 

the proposed OFL and ABC for each 

species and species group. The 

proposed 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications in this action are subject 

to change in the final harvest 

specifications to be published by NMFS 

following the Council’s December 2023 

meeting. 

In November 2023, the Plan Team 

will update the 2022 SAFE report to 

include new information collected 

during 2023, such as NMFS stock 

surveys, revised stock assessments, and 

catch data. The Plan Team will compile 

this information and present the draft 

2023 SAFE report at the December 2023 

Council meeting. At that meeting, the 

SSC and the Council will review the 

2023 SAFE report, and the Council will 

approve the 2023 SAFE report. The 

Council will consider information in the 

2023 SAFE report, recommendations 

from the November 2023 Plan Team 

meeting and December 2023 SSC and 

AP meetings, public testimony, and 

relevant written comments in making its 

recommendations for the final 2024 and 

2025 harvest specifications. Pursuant to 

§ 679.20(a)(2) and (3), the Council could 

recommend adjusting the final TACs if 

warranted based on the biological 

condition of groundfish stocks or a 

variety of socioeconomic 

considerations, or if required to cause 

the sum of TACs to fall within the OY 

range. 

Potential Changes Between Proposed 

and Final Specifications 

In previous years, the most significant 

changes (relative to the amount of 

assessed tonnage of fish) to the OFLs 

and ABCs from the proposed to the final 

harvest specifications have been based 

on the most recent NMFS stock surveys. 

These surveys provide updated 

estimates of stock biomass and spatial 

distribution and inform changes to the 

models or the models’ results used for 

producing stock assessments. Any 

changes to models used in stock 

assessments will be recommended by 

the Plan Team in November 2023, 

reviewed by the SSC in December 2023, 

and then included in the final 2023 

SAFE report. Model changes can result 

in changes to final OFLs, ABCs, and 

TACs. The final 2023 SAFE report will 

include the most recent information 

(e.g., catch data). 

The final harvest specification 

amounts for these stocks are not 

expected to significantly vary from these 

proposed harvest specification amounts. 

If the 2023 SAFE report indicates that 

the stock biomass trend is increasing for 

a species, then the final 2024 and 2025 

harvest specifications may reflect an 

increase from the proposed harvest 

specifications. Conversely, if the 2023 

SAFE report indicates that the stock 

biomass trend is decreasing for a 

species, then the final 2024 and 2025 

harvest specifications may reflect a 

decrease from the proposed harvest 

specifications. In addition to changes 

driven by biomass trends, there may be 

changes in TACs due to the sum of 

ABCs exceeding 2 million mt. Since the 

regulations require the sum of all TACs 

to be set to an OY between 1.4 and 2 

million mt, the Council may be required 

to recommend TACs that are lower than 

the ABCs recommended by the Plan 

Team and the SSC, if setting all TACs 

equal to ABCs would cause the sum of 

TACs to exceed an OY of 2 million mt. 

Generally, total ABCs greatly exceed 2 

million mt in years with a large pollock 

biomass. For both 2024 and 2025, NMFS 

anticipates that the sum of the final 

ABCs will exceed 2 million mt. 

Historically, the sum of the final TACs 

has been close to or equal to 2 million 

mt. 

The proposed 2024 and 2025 OFLs 

and ABCs are based on the best 

available biological and scientific 

information, including projected 

biomass trends, information on assumed 

distribution of stock biomass, and 

revised technical methods used to 

calculate stock biomass. The FMP 

specifies a series of six tiers to define 

OFLs and ABCs based on the level of 

reliable information available to fishery 

scientists. Tier 1 represents the highest 

level of information quality available, 

while Tier 6 represents the lowest. The 

proposed 2024 and 2025 TACs are based 

on the best available biological and 

socioeconomic information. 

In October 2023, the SSC adopted the 

proposed 2024 and 2025 OFLs and 

ABCs recommended by the Plan Team 

for all groundfish. In making its 

recommendations, the Council adopted 

the SSC’s OFL and ABC 

recommendations. The OFL and ABC 

amounts are unchanged from the final 

2024 harvest specifications published in 

the Federal Register on March 10, 2023 

(88 FR 14926) (see also a correction at 

88 FR 18258, March 28, 2023). The sum 

of the proposed 2024 and 2025 ABCs for 

all assessed groundfish is 3,569,366 mt. 

The sum of the proposed TACs is 

2,000,000 mt. 

Specification and Apportionment of 

TAC Amounts 

The Council recommended proposed 

2024 and 2025 TACs that are equal to 

the proposed ABCs for 2024 and 2025 

BS and AI Greenland turbot, BSAI 

Kamchatka flounder, Central AI Atka 

mackerel, BS Pacific ocean perch, 

Central AI Pacific ocean perch, Eastern 

AI Pacific ocean perch, BS and Eastern 

AI (BS/EAI) blackspotted and rougheye 

rockfish, Central AI and Western AI 

blackspotted and rougheye rockfish, BS 

and AI shortraker rockfish, and BS and 

AI ‘‘other rockfish.’’ The Council 

recommended proposed TACs less than 

the respective proposed ABCs for all 

other species. TACs for some species are 

reduced so that the overall TAC does 

not exceed the BSAI OY. 


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The proposed groundfish OFLs, 

ABCs, and TACs are subject to change 

pending the completion of the final 

2023 SAFE report, public comment, and 

the Council’s recommendations for the 

final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications during its December 2023 

meeting. These proposed amounts are 

consistent with the biological condition 

of groundfish stocks as described in the 

2022 SAFE report. The proposed ABCs 

reflect harvest amounts that are less 

than the specified overfishing levels. 

The proposed TACs have been adjusted 

for other biological information and 

socioeconomic considerations, 

including maintaining the entire TAC 

within the required OY range. Pursuant 

to Section 3.2.3.4.1 of the FMP, the 

Council could recommend adjusting the 

final TACs ‘‘if warranted on the basis of 

bycatch considerations, management 

uncertainty, or socioeconomic 

considerations; or if required in order to 

cause the sum of the TACs to fall within 

the OY range.’’ Table 1 lists the 

proposed 2024 and 2025 OFL, ABC, 

TAC, initial TAC (ITAC), and CDQ 

amounts for groundfish for the BSAI. 

The proposed apportionment of TAC 

amounts among fisheries and seasons is 

discussed below. 

TABLE 1—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 OVERFISHING LEVEL (OFL), ACCEPTABLE BIOLOGICAL CATCH (ABC), TOTAL

ALLOWABLE CATCH (TAC), INITIAL TAC (ITAC), AND CDQ RESERVE ALLOCATION OF GROUNDFISH IN THE BSAI 1

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Species Area 

Proposed 2024 and 2025 

OFL ABC TAC ITAC 2 CDQ 3 4 Nonspecified 

reserves 

Pollock 4 ...................................................................... BS ......................... 4,639,000 2,275,000 1,302,000 1,171,800 130,200 ........................

AI .......................... 52,043 43,092 19,000 17,100 1,900 ........................

Bogoslof ............... 115,146 86,360 300 300 .................... ........................

Pacific cod 5 ................................................................ BS ......................... 166,814 140,159 123,295 110,102 13,193 ........................

AI .......................... 18,416 13,812 8,425 7,524 901 ........................

Sablefish 6 ................................................................... Alaska-wide .......... 48,561 41,539 n/a n/a n/a ........................

BS ......................... n/a 10,185 9,676 4,112 1,330 363 

AI .......................... n/a 10,308 9,793 2,081 1,653 184 

Yellowfin sole ............................................................. BSAI ..................... 495,155 462,890 230,656 205,976 24,680 ........................

Greenland turbot ........................................................ BSAI ..................... 3,947 3,364 3,364 2,859 n/a ........................

BS ......................... n/a 2,836 2,836 2,411 303 122 

AI .......................... n/a 528 528 449 .................... 79 

Arrowtooth flounder .................................................... BSAI ..................... 103,070 87,511 15,000 12,750 1,605 645 

Kamchatka flounder ................................................... BSAI ..................... 8,776 7,435 7,435 6,320 .................... 1,115 

Rock sole 7 ................................................................. BSAI ..................... 196,011 119,969 66,000 58,938 7,062 ........................

Flathead sole 8 ............................................................ BSAI ..................... 81,167 66,927 35,500 31,702 3,799 ........................

Alaska plaice .............................................................. BSAI ..................... 43,328 36,021 18,000 15,300 .................... 2,700 

Other flatfish 9 ............................................................. BSAI ..................... 22,919 17,189 4,500 3,825 .................... 675 

Pacific Ocean perch ................................................... BSAI ..................... 49,279 41,322 38,264 33,667 n/a ........................

BS ......................... n/a 11,700 11,700 9,945 .................... 1,755 

EAI ........................ n/a 8,013 8,013 7,156 857 ........................

CAI ....................... n/a 5,551 5,551 4,957 594 ........................

WAI ....................... n/a 16,058 13,000 11,609 1,391 ........................

Northern rockfish ........................................................ BSAI ..................... 22,105 18,135 11,000 9,350 .................... 1,650 

Blackspotted /Rougheye rockfish 10 ........................... BSAI .....................

BS/EAI ..................

CAI/WAI ................

763 

n/a 

n/a 

570 

388 

182 

570 

388 

182 

485 

330 

155 

....................

....................

....................

86 

58 

27 

Shortraker rockfish ..................................................... BSAI ..................... 706 530 530 451 .................... 80 

Other rockfish 11 ......................................................... BSAI ..................... 1,680 1,260 1,260 1,071 .................... 189 

BS ......................... n/a 880 880 748 .................... 132 

AI .......................... n/a 380 380 323 .................... 57 

Atka mackerel ............................................................. BSAI ..................... 101,188 86,464 66,855 59,702 7,153 ........................

EAI/BS .................. n/a 37,958 30,000 26,790 3,210 ........................

CAI ....................... n/a 15,218 15,218 13,590 1,628 ........................

WAI ....................... n/a 33,288 21,637 19,322 2,315 ........................

Skates ......................................................................... BSAI ..................... 44,168 36,837 27,927 23,738 .................... 4,189 

Sharks ........................................................................ BSAI ..................... 689 450 250 213 .................... 38 

Octopuses .................................................................. BSAI ..................... 4,769 3,576 400 340 .................... 60 

Total .................................................................... BSAI ..................... 6,219,700 3,569,366 2,000,000 1,779,703 196,622 13,929 

1These amounts apply to the entire BSAI management area unless otherwise specified. With the exception of pollock, and for the purpose of these harvest specifications, the Bering Sea subarea (BS) includes the Bogoslof District. 2Except for pollock, the portion of the sablefish TAC allocated to fixed gear, and the Amendment 80 species (Atka mackerel, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, 

Pacific cod, and Aleutian Islands (AI) Pacific ocean perch), 15 percent of each TAC is put into a nonspecified reserve. The ITAC for these species is the remainder of 

the TAC after subtraction of the reserves. For pollock and Amendment 80 species, ITAC is the non-CDQ allocation of TAC (see footnote 3 and 4). 3For the Amendment 80 species (Atka mackerel, flathead sole, rock sole, yellowfin sole, Pacific cod, and AI Pacific ocean perch), 10.7 percent of the TAC is reserved for use by CDQ participants (see § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C)). Twenty percent of the sablefish TAC allocated to fixed gear, 7.5 percent of the sablefish TAC allocated 

to trawl gear, and 10.7 percent of the TACs for BS Greenland turbot and BSAI arrowtooth flounder are reserved for use by CDQ participants (see § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) 

and (D)). The 2025 fixed gear portion of the sablefish ITAC and CDQ reserve will not be specified until the final 2025 and 2026 harvest specifications. AI Greenland 

turbot, ‘‘other flatfish,’’ Alaska plaice, BS Pacific ocean perch, Kamchatka flounder, northern rockfish, shortraker rockfish, blackspotted and rougheye rockfish, ‘‘other 

rockfish,’’ skates, sharks, and octopuses are not allocated to the CDQ Program. 4 Under § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the annual BS pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental 

catch allowance (50,000 mt), is further allocated by sector for a pollock directed fishery as follows: inshore—50 percent; catcher/processor—40 percent; and 

motherships—10 percent. Section 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(1) requires the AI pollock TAC to be set at 19,000 mt when the AI pollock ABC equals or exceeds 19,000 mt. 

Under § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2), the annual AI pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ directed fishing allowance (10 percent) and second for the incidental 

catch allowance (3,420 mt), is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a pollock directed fishery. The Bogoslof pollock TAC is set to accommodate incidental catch 

amounts. 5The proposed BS Pacific cod TAC is set to account for 12 percent, plus 45 mt, of the BS ABC for the State of Alaska’s (State) guideline harvest level in State 

waters of the BS. The proposed AI Pacific cod TAC is set to account for 39 percent (5,387 mt) of the AI ABC for the State guideline harvest level in State waters of 

the AI. 6The sablefish OFL and ABC are Alaska-wide and include the Gulf of Alaska. The Alaska-wide sablefish OFL and ABC are included in the total OFL and ABC. The 

BS and AI sablefish TACs are set to account for the 5 percent of the BS and AI ABC for the State of Alaska’s (State) guideline harvest level in State waters of the BS 

and AI. 7 ‘‘Rock sole’’ includes Lepidopsetta polyxystra (Northern rock sole). 


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8 ‘‘Flathead sole’’ includes Hippoglossoides elassodon (flathead sole) and Hippoglossoides robustus (Bering flounder). 9 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Alaska plaice, arrowtooth flounder, flathead sole, Greenland turbot, 

Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 10 ‘‘Blackspotted/Rougheye rockfish’’ includes Sebastes melanostictus (blackspotted) and Sebastes aleutianus (rougheye). 11 ‘‘Other rockfish’’ includes all Sebastes and Sebastolobus species except for Pacific ocean perch, dark rockfish, northern rockfish, shortraker rockfish, and 

blackspotted/rougheye rockfish. 

Note: Regulatory areas and districts are defined at § 679.2 (BSAI = Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area, BS = Bering Sea subarea, AI = Aleutian Islands subarea, EAI = Eastern Aleutian district, CAI = Central Aleutian district, WAI = Western Aleutian district.) 

Groundfish Reserves and the Incidental 

Catch Allowance (ICA) for Pollock, Atka 

Mackerel, Flathead Sole, Rock Sole, 

Yellowfin Sole, and AI Pacific Ocean 

Perch 

Section 679.20(b)(1)(i) requires NMFS 

to reserve 15 percent of the TAC for 

each target species category (except for 

pollock, fixed gear allocation of 

sablefish, and Amendment 80 species) 

in a nonspecified reserve. Section 

679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) requires that NMFS 

allocate 20 percent of the fixed gear 

allocation of sablefish to the fixed gear 

sablefish CDQ reserve for each subarea. 

Section 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(D) requires that 

NMFS allocate 7.5 percent of the trawl 

gear allocation of sablefish for each 

subarea and 10.7 percent of BS 

Greenland turbot and BSAI arrowtooth 

flounder TACs to the respective CDQ 

reserves. Section 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) 

requires that NMFS allocate 10.7 

percent of the TACs for Atka mackerel, 

AI Pacific ocean perch, yellowfin sole, 

rock sole, flathead sole, and Pacific cod 

(the Amendment 80 allocated species) 

to the respective CDQ reserves. 

Sections 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) and 

679.31(a) require allocation of 10 

percent of the BS pollock TAC to the 

pollock CDQ directed fishing allowance 

(DFA). Sections 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) 

and 679.31(a) require 10 percent of the 

AI pollock TAC be allocated to the 

pollock CDQ DFA. The entire Bogoslof 

District pollock TAC is allocated as an 

incidental catch allowance (ICA) 

pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(ii) because the 

Bogoslof District is closed to directed 

fishing for pollock by regulation 

(§ 679.22(a)(7)(B)). With the exception of 

the fixed gear sablefish CDQ reserve, the 

regulations do not further apportion the 

CDQ reserves by gear. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(1), 

NMFS proposes a pollock ICA of 50,000 

mt of the BS pollock TAC after 

subtracting the 10 percent CDQ DFA. 

This allowance is based on NMFS’s 

examination of the pollock incidentally 

retained and discarded catch, including 

the incidental catch by CDQ vessels, in 

target fisheries other than pollock from 

2000 through 2023. During this 24-year 

period, the pollock incidental catch 

ranged from a low of 2.2 percent in 2006 

to a high of 4.6 percent in 2014, with a 

23-year average of 3 percent. Pursuant to 

§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)(i) and (ii), NMFS 

proposes a pollock ICA of 20 percent or 

3,420 mt of the AI pollock TAC after 

subtracting the 10 percent CDQ DFA. 

This allowance is based on NMFS’s 

examination of the pollock incidental 

catch, including the incidental catch by 

CDQ vessels, in target fisheries other 

than pollock from 2003 through 2023. 

During this 21-year period, the 

incidental catch of pollock ranged from 

a low of 5 percent in 2015 to a high of 

20 percent in 2023, with a 10-year 

average of 12 percent in the most recent 

ten years. 

After subtracting the 10.7 percent 

CDQ reserve and pursuant to 

§ 679.20(a)(8) and (10), NMFS proposes 

ICAs of 3,000 mt of flathead sole, 6,000 

mt of rock sole, 4,000 mt of yellowfin 

sole, 10 mt of Western Aleutian district 

Pacific ocean perch, 60 mt of Central 

Aleutian district Pacific ocean perch, 

100 mt of Eastern Aleutian district 

Pacific ocean perch, 20 mt of Western 

Aleutian district Atka mackerel, 75 mt 

of Central Aleutian district Atka 

mackerel, and 800 mt of Eastern 

Aleutian district and BS Atka mackerel. 

These ICAs are based on NMFS’s 

examination of the incidental catch in 

other target fisheries from 2003 through 

2023. 

The regulations do not designate the 

remainder of the nonspecified reserve 

by species or species group. Any 

amount of the reserve may be 

apportioned to a target species that 

contributed to the nonspecified reserve 

during the year, provided that such 

apportionments are consistent with 

§ 679.20(a)(3) and do not result in 

overfishing (see § 679.20(b)(1)(i)). In the 

final 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications, NMFS will evaluate 

whether any apportionments are 

necessary and may apportion from the 

nonspecified reserve to increase the 

ITAC for any target species that 

contributed to the reserve. 

Allocations of Pollock TAC Under the 

American Fisheries Act (AFA) 

Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A) requires that 

BS pollock TAC be apportioned as a 

DFA, after subtracting 10 percent for the 

CDQ Program and 50,000 for the ICA, as 

follows: 50 percent to the inshore sector, 

40 percent to the catcher/processor (CP) 

sector, and 10 percent to the mothership 

sector. In the BS, 45 percent of the DFAs 

are allocated to the A season (January 20 

to June 10), and 55 percent of the DFAs 

are allocated to the B season (June 10 to 

November 1) (§§ 679.20(a)(5)(i)(B)(1) 

and 679.23(e)(2)). The AI directed 

pollock fishery allocation to the Aleut 

Corporation is the amount of pollock 

TAC remaining in the AI after 

subtracting 1,900 mt for the CDQ DFA 

(10 percent), and 3,420 mt for the ICA 

(§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2)). In the AI, the 

total A season apportionment of the 

pollock TAC (including the AI directed 

fishery allocation, the CDQ DFA, and 

the ICA) may not exceed 40 percent of 

the ABC for AI pollock, and the 

remainder of the pollock TAC is 

allocated to the B season 

(§ 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(3)). Table 2 lists 

these proposed 2024 and 2025 amounts. 

Within any fishing year, any under 

harvest or over harvest of a seasonal 

allowance may be added to or 

subtracted from a subsequent seasonal 

allowance (§§ 679.20(a)(5)(i)(B)(2) and 

679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(3)(iii)). 

Section 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(6) sets 

harvest limits for pollock in the A 

season (January 20 to June 10) in Areas 

543, 542, and 541. In Area 543, the A 

season pollock harvest limit is no more 

than 5 percent of the AI pollock ABC. 

In Area 542, the A season pollock 

harvest limit is no more than 15 percent 

of the AI pollock ABC. In Area 541, the 

A season pollock harvest limit is no 

more than 30 percent of the AI pollock 

ABC. 

Section 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4) includes 

several specific requirements regarding 

BS pollock allocations. First, it requires 

that 8.5 percent of the pollock allocated 

to the CP sector be available for harvest 

by American Fisheries Act (AFA) CVs 

with CP sector endorsements, unless the 

Regional Administrator receives a 

cooperative contract that allows the 

distribution of harvest among AFA CPs 

and AFA CVs in a manner agreed to by 

all members. Second, AFA CPs not 

listed in the AFA are limited to 

harvesting no more than 0.5 percent of 

the pollock allocated to the CP sector. 

Table 2 lists the proposed 2024 and 

2025 allocations of pollock TAC. Tables 

14, 15, and 16 list the AFA CP and CV 

harvesting sideboard limits. The BS 

inshore pollock cooperative and open 

access sector allocations are based on 

the submission of AFA inshore 

cooperative applications due to NMFS 

on December 1 of each calendar year. 

Because AFA inshore cooperative 


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applications for 2024 have not been 

submitted to NMFS, and NMFS 

therefore cannot calculate 2024 

allocations, NMFS has not included 

inshore cooperative tables in these 

proposed harvest specifications. NMFS 

will post the 2024 AFA inshore pollock 

cooperative and open access sector 

allocations on the Alaska Region 

website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/alaska-fisheriesmanagement-reports prior to the start of 

the fishing year on January 1, 2024, 

based on the harvest specifications 

effective on that date. 

Table 2 lists proposed seasonal 

apportionments of pollock and harvest 

limits within the Steller Sea Lion 

Conservation Area (SCA). The harvest of 

pollock within the SCA, as defined at 

§ 679.22(a)(7)(vii), is limited to no more 

than 28 percent of the annual pollock 

DFA before 12 p.m. (noon), April 1, as 

provided in § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(C). The A 

season pollock SCA harvest limit will be 

apportioned to each sector in proportion 

to each sector’s allocated percentage of 

the DFA. 

TABLE 2—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 ALLOCATIONS OF POLLOCK TACS TO THE DIRECTED POLLOCK FISHERIES AND TO

THE CDQ DIRECTED FISHING ALLOWANCES (DFA) 1

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Area and sector 2024 and 2025 

Allocations 

A season 1 B season 1

A season 

DFA 

SCA harvest 

limit 2

B season 

DFA 

Bering Sea subarea TAC ...................................................................................... 1,302,000 n/a n/a n/a 

CDQ DFA ............................................................................................................... 130,200 58,590 36,456 71,610 

ICA1 ....................................................................................................................... 50,000 n/a n/a n/a 

Total Bering Sea DFA (non-CDQ) ......................................................................... 1,121,800 504,810 314,104 616,990 

AFA Inshore ........................................................................................................... 560,900 252,405 157,052 308,495 

AFA Catcher/Processors 3 ..................................................................................... 448,720 201,924 125,642 246,796 

Catch by CPs ................................................................................................. 410,579 184,760 n/a 225,818 

Catch by CVs 3 ............................................................................................... 38,141 17,164 n/a 20,978 

Unlisted CP Limit 4 .......................................................................................... 2,244 1,010 n/a 1,234 

AFA Motherships ................................................................................................... 112,180 50,481 31,410 61,699 

Excessive Harvesting Limit 5 .................................................................................. 196,315 n/a n/a n/a 

Excessive Processing Limit 6 ................................................................................. 336,540 n/a n/a n/a 

Aleutian Islands subarea ABC ............................................................................... 43,092 n/a n/a n/a 

Aleutian Islands subarea TAC ............................................................................... 19,000 n/a n/a n/a 

CDQ DFA ............................................................................................................... 1,900 1,894 n/a 6 

ICA ......................................................................................................................... 3,420 1,710 n/a 1,710 

Aleut Corporation ................................................................................................... 13,680 13,633 n/a 47 

Area harvest limit 7 ................................................................................................. n/a n/a n/a n/a 

541 .................................................................................................................. 12,928 n/a n/a n/a 

542 .................................................................................................................. 6,464 n/a n/a n/a 

543 .................................................................................................................. 2,155 n/a n/a n/a 

Bogoslof District ICA8 ............................................................................................ 300 n/a n/a n/a 

1Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A), the annual Bering Sea subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and the ICA 

(50,000 mt), is allocated as a DFA as follows: inshore sector—50 percent, catcher/processor sector (CPs)—40 percent, and mothership sector— 

10 percent. In the Bering Sea subarea, 45 percent of the DFA and CDQ DFA are allocated to the A season (January 20–June 10) and 55 percent of the DFA and CDQ DFA are allocated to the B season (June 10–November 1). Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(2), the annual Aleutian Islands subarea pollock TAC, after subtracting first for the CDQ DFA (10 percent) and second for the ICA (3,420 mt), is allocated to the Aleut Corporation for a directed pollock fishery. In the Aleutian Islands subarea, the A season is allocated up to 40 percent of the AI pollock ABC. 2 In the Bering Sea subarea, pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(C), no more than 28 percent of each sector’s annual DFA may be taken from the 

SCA before noon, April 1. The SCA is defined at § 679.22(a)(7)(vii). 3Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4), 8.5 percent of the DFA allocated to listed CPs shall be available for harvest only by eligible catcher vessels with a CP endorsement delivering to listed CPs, unless there is a cooperative contract for the year. 4Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(4)(iii), the AFA unlisted CPs are limited to harvesting not more than 0.5 percent of the C/P sector’s allocation 

of pollock. 5Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(6), NMFS establishes an excessive harvesting share limit equal to 17.5 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ 

pollock DFAs. 6Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(i)(A)(7), NMFS establishes an excessive processing share limit equal to 30 percent of the sum of the non-CDQ 

pollock DFAs. 7Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(5)(iii)(B)(6), NMFS establishes harvest limits for pollock in the A season in Area 541 no more than 30 percent, in 

Area 542 no more than 15 percent, and in Area 543 no more than 5 percent of the Aleutian Islands pollock ABC. 8Pursuant to § 679.22(a)(7)(B), the Bogoslof District is closed to directed fishing for pollock. The amounts specified are for incidental catch 

only and are not apportioned by season or sector. 

Allocation of the Atka Mackerel TACs 

Section 679.20(a)(8) allocates the Atka 

mackerel TACs to the Amendment 80 

and BSAI trawl limited access sectors, 

after subtracting the CDQ reserves, ICAs 

for the BSAI trawl limited access sector 

and non-trawl gear sector, and the jig 

gear allocation (table 3). The percentage 

of the ITAC for Atka mackerel allocated 

to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl 

limited access sectors is listed in table 

33 to 50 CFR part 679 and in § 679.91. 

Pursuant to § 679.20(a)(8)(i), up to 2 

percent of the Eastern Aleutian district 

and BS subarea Atka mackerel TAC may 

be allocated to vessels using jig gear. 

The percent of this allocation is 

recommended annually by the Council 

based on several criteria, including the 

anticipated harvest capacity of the jig 

gear fleet. The Council recommended, 

and NMFS proposes, a 0.5 percent 

allocation of the Atka mackerel TAC in 

the Eastern Aleutian district and BS 

subarea to the jig sector gear in 2024 and 

2025. 

Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) apportions 

the Atka mackerel TAC, after 

subtraction of the jig gear allocation, 

into two equal seasonal allowances. 

Section 679.23(e)(3) sets the first 


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seasonal allowance for directed fishing 

with trawl gear from January 20 through 

June 10 (A season), and the second 

seasonal allowance from June 10 

through December 31 (B season). 

Section 679.23(e)(4)(iii) applies Atka 

mackerel seasons to trawl CDQ Atka 

mackerel fishing. Within any fishing 

year, any under harvest or over harvest 

of a seasonal allowance may be added 

to or subtracted from a subsequent 

seasonal allowance 

(§ 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(B)). The ICA and jig 

gear allocations are not apportioned by 

season. 

Sections 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(i) and 

(ii) limit Atka mackerel catch within 

waters 0 nautical miles (nmi) to 20 nmi 

of Steller sea lion sites listed in table 6 

to 50 CFR part 679 and located west of 

178° W longitude to no more than 60 

percent of the annual TACs in Areas 542 

and 543, and equally divides that 

annual harvest limit between the A and 

B seasons as defined at § 679.23(e)(3). 

Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(2) requires 

that the annual TAC in Area 543 will be 

no more than 65 percent of the ABC in 

Area 543. Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(D) 

requires that any unharvested Atka 

mackerel A season allowance that is 

added to the B season be prohibited 

from being harvested within waters 0– 

20 nmi of Steller sea lion sites listed in 

table 6 to 50 CFR part 679 and located 

in Areas 541, 542, and 543. 

Table 3 lists the proposed 2024 and 

2025 Atka mackerel season allowances, 

area allowances, and the sector 

allocations. One Amendment 80 

cooperative has been formed for the 

2024 fishing year. Because all 

Amendment 80 vessels are part of the 

sole cooperative, no allocation to the 

Amendment 80 limited access sector is 

required for 2024. The 2025 allocations 

for Atka mackerel between Amendment 

80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 

limited access sector will not be known 

until eligible participants apply for 

participation in the program by 

November 1, 2024. NMFS will post the 

2025 Amendment 80 cooperatives and 

Amendment 80 limited access sector 

allocations on the Alaska Region 

website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska prior to the start of the 

fishing year on January 1, 2025, based 

on the harvest specifications effective 

on that date. 

TABLE 3—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 SEASONAL AND SPATIAL ALLOWANCES, GEAR SHARES, CDQ RESERVE, 

INCIDENTAL CATCH ALLOWANCE (ICA), AND AMENDMENT 80 ALLOCATIONS OF THE BSAI ATKA MACKEREL TAC 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 1 Season 234

2024 and 2025 Allocation by area 

Eastern Aleutian 

district/Bering Sea 

Central Aleutian 

district 5

Western Aleutian 

district 5

TAC ........................................................................ n/a ................................... 30,000 15,218 21,637 

CDQ reserve .......................................................... Total ................................ 3,210 1,628 2,315 

A ...................................... 1,605 814 1,158 

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 488 695 

B ...................................... 1,605 814 1,158 

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 488 695 

non-CDQ TAC ........................................................ n/a ................................... 26,790 13,590 19,322 

ICA .......................................................................... Total ................................ 800 75 20 

Jig 6 ......................................................................... Total ................................ 130 ................................ ................................

BSAI trawl limited access ....................................... Total ................................ 2,586 1,351 ................................

A ...................................... 1,293 676 ................................

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 405 ................................

B ...................................... 1,293 676 ................................

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 405 ................................

Amendment 80 7 ..................................................... Total ................................ 23,274 12,163 19,302 

A ...................................... 11,637 6,082 9,651 

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 3,649 5,791 

B ...................................... 11,637 6,082 9,651 

Critical habitat 5 ............... n/a 3,649 5,791 

1Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii) allocates the Atka mackerel TACs, after subtracting the CDQ reserves, ICAs, and the jig gear allocation, to the 

Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited access sectors. The allocation of the ITAC for Atka mackerel to the Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited 

access sectors is established in table 33 to 50 CFR part 679 and § 679.91. The CDQ reserve is 10.7 percent of the TAC for use by CDQ participants (see § 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C)). 2Sections 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(A) and 679.22(a) establish temporal and spatial limitations for the Atka mackerel fishery. 

3The seasonal allowances of Atka mackerel for the CDQ reserve, BSAI trawl limited access sector, and Amendment 80 sector are 50 percent 

in the A season and 50 percent in the B season. 4Section 679.23(e)(3) authorizes directed fishing for Atka mackerel with trawl gear during the A season from January 20 to June 10, and the B 

season from June 10 to December 31. 5Section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(i) limits no more than 60 percent of the annual TACs in Areas 542 and 543 to be caught inside of Steller sea 

lion critical habitat; section 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(1)(ii) equally divides the annual harvest limit between the A and B seasons as defined at 

§ 679.23(e)(3); and § 679.20(a)(8)(ii)(C)(2) requires that the TAC in Area 543 shall be no more than 65 percent of ABC in Area 543. 6Sections 679.2 and 679.20(a)(8)(i) requires that up to 2 percent of the Eastern Aleutian District and Bering Sea subarea TAC be allocated to 

jig gear after subtraction of the CDQ reserve and ICA. The proposed amount of this allocation is 0.5 percent. The jig gear allocation is not apportioned by season. 7The 2025 allocations for Atka mackerel between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not be known 

until eligible participants apply for participation in the program by November 1, 2024. 

Allocation of the Pacific Cod TAC 

The Council separated the BSAI OFL, 

ABC, and TAC into BS and AI subarea 

OFLs, ABCs, and TACs for Pacific cod 

in 2014 (79 FR 12108, March 4, 2014). 

Section 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(C) allocates 10.7 

percent of the BS TAC and the AI TAC 

to the CDQ Program. After CDQ 

allocations have been deducted from the 

respective BS and AI Pacific cod TACs, 

the remaining BS and AI Pacific cod 

TACs are combined for calculating 

further BSAI Pacific cod sector 

allocations and seasonal allowances. If 


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the non-CDQ Pacific cod TAC is or will 

be reached in either the BS or the AI 

subareas, NMFS will prohibit directed 

fishing for non-CDQ Pacific cod in that 

subarea, as provided in 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii). 

Section 679.20(a)(7)(ii) allocates to the 

non-CDQ sectors the combined BSAI 

Pacific cod TAC, after subtracting 10.7 

percent for the CDQ Program, as 

follows: 1.4 percent to vessels using jig 

gear, 2.0 percent to hook-and-line or pot 

CVs less than 60 feet (ft) (18.3 meters 

(m)) length overall (LOA), 0.2 percent to 

hook-and-line CVs greater than or equal 

to 60 ft (18.3 m) LOA, 48.7 percent to 

hook-and-line CPs, 8.4 percent to pot 

CVs greater than or equal to 60 ft (18.3 

m) LOA, 1.5 percent to pot CPs, 2.3 

percent to AFA trawl CPs, 13.4 percent 

to the Amendment 80 sector, and 22.1 

percent to trawl CVs. The BSAI ICA for 

the hook-and-line and pot sectors will 

be deducted from the aggregate portion 

of BSAI Pacific cod TAC allocated to the 

hook-and-line and pot sectors. For 2024 

and 2025, the Regional Administrator 

proposes a BSAI ICA of 500 mt, based 

on anticipated incidental catch by these 

sectors in other fisheries. During the 

fishing year, NMFS may reallocate 

unharvested Pacific cod among sectors, 

consistent with the reallocation 

hierarchy set forth at § 679.20(a)(7)(iii). 

The BSAI ITAC allocation of Pacific 

cod to the Amendment 80 sector is 

established in table 33 to 50 CFR part 

679 and § 679.91. One Amendment 80 

cooperative has been formed for the 

2024 fishing year. Because all 

Amendment 80 vessels are part of the 

sole cooperative, no allocation to the 

Amendment 80 limited access sector is 

required for 2024. The 2025 allocations 

for Pacific cod between Amendment 80 

cooperatives and the Amendment 80 

limited access sector will not be known 

until eligible participants apply for 

participation in the program by 

November 1, 2024. NMFS will post the 

2025 Amendment 80 cooperatives and 

Amendment 80 limited access fishery 

allocations on the Alaska Region 

website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska prior to the start of the 

fishing year on January 1, 2025, based 

on the harvest specifications effective 

on that date. 

The BSAI ITAC allocation of Pacific 

cod to the PCTC Program is established 

in § 679.131(b). Section 679.131(b)(1)(i) 

also requires NMFS to establish an ICA 

for incidental catch of Pacific cod by 

trawl CVs engaged in directed fishing 

for groundfish other than PCTC Program 

Pacific cod. In the annual harvest 

specification process, NMFS determines 

the Pacific cod trawl catcher vessel TAC 

and the annual apportionment of Pacific 

cod in the A and B seasons between the 

PCTC Program DFA and the ICA 

(§ 679.131(b)(2)) (Table 4 below). The 

allocations to PCTC Program 

cooperatives are not included in these 

proposed harvest specifications. PCTC 

Program cooperative applications are 

not due to NMFS until November 1, 

2023; therefore, NMFS cannot calculate 

2024 and 2025 allocations in 

conjunction with these proposed 

harvest specifications (§ 679.131(b)). 

After receiving the PCTC Program 

applications, NMFS will calculate the 

2024 and 2025 allocations for PCTC 

Program cooperatives, as set forth in in 

§ 679.131(b). NMFS will post the 2024 

PCTC Program cooperative allocations 

on the Alaska Region website at https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/alaska-fisheriesmanagement-reports prior to the start of 

the fishing year on January 1, 2024, 

based on the harvest specifications 

effective on that date. The 2025 

allocations for Pacific cod for PCTC 

Program cooperatives will not be known 

until eligible participants apply for 

participation in the program by 

November 1, 2024. 

The sector allocations of Pacific cod 

are apportioned into seasonal 

allowances to disperse the Pacific cod 

fisheries over the fishing year (see 

§§ 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) (CDQ), 

679.20(a)(7)(iv)(A) (non-CDQ), and 

679.23(e)(5) (seasons)). Table 4 lists the 

non-CDQ sector and seasonal 

allowances. In accordance with 

§ 679.20(a)(7)(iv)(B) and (C), any unused 

portion of a non-CDQ Pacific cod 

seasonal allowance for any sector, 

except the jig sector, will become 

available at the beginning of that 

sector’s next seasonal allowance. 

Section 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) sets forth the 

CDQ Pacific cod gear allowances by 

season, and CDQ groups are prohibited 

from exceeding those seasonal 

allowances (§ 679.7(d)(6)). 

Section 679.20(a)(7)(vii) requires that 

the Regional Administrator establish an 

Area 543 Pacific cod harvest limit based 

on Pacific cod abundance in Area 543 

as determined by the annual stock 

assessment process. Based on the 2022 

stock assessment, the Regional 

Administrator has preliminarily 

determined for 2024 and 2025 that the 

estimated amount of Pacific cod 

abundance in Area 543 is 15.7 percent 

of total AI abundance. To calculate the 

Area 543 Pacific cod harvest limit, 

NMFS first subtracts the State GHL 

Pacific cod amount from the AI Pacific 

cod ABC. Then NMFS determines the 

harvest limit in Area 543 by multiplying 

the percentage of Pacific cod estimated 

in Area 543 (15.7 percent) by the 

remaining ABC for AI Pacific cod. Based 

on these calculations, which rely on the 

2022 stock assessment, the proposed 

Area 543 harvest limit is 1,323 mt. 

However, the final Area 543 harvest 

limit could change if the Pacific cod 

abundance in Area 543 changes based 

on the stock assessment in the final 

2023 SAFE report. 

Under the PCTC Program, PCTC 

cooperatives are required to collectively 

set aside up to twelve percent of the 

trawl CV A-season allocation for 

delivery to an AI shoreplant established 

through the process set forth at 

§ 679.132 in years in which an AI 

community representative notifies 

NMFS of their intent to process Pacific 

cod in Adak or Atka. A notice of intent 

to process PCTC Program Pacific cod for 

2024 must be submitted in writing to 

the Regional Administrator by a 

representative of the City of Adak or the 

City of Atka no later than October 15. 

A notice of intent was not received in 

2023, and accordingly the set-aside will 

not be in effect for 2024. The 2025 setaside will be determined after the 

October 15, 2024 deadline in 

conjunction with the 2025 and 2026 

harvest specifications process. 

Based on the proposed 2024 and 2025 

Pacific cod TACs, Table 4 lists the CDQ 

and non-CDQ TAC amounts, non-CDQ 

seasonal allowances by gear, the sector 

allocations of Pacific cod, and the 

seasons set forth at § 679.23(e)(5). 

TABLE 4—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 SECTOR ALLOCATIONS AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE BSAI 1 PACIFIC COD

TAC 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector Percent 

2024 and 2025 

share of gear 

sector total 

2024 and 2025 

share of 

sector total 

2024 and 2025 seasonal allowances 

Season Amount 

Total Bering Sea TAC ...................................................................................... n/a 123,295 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 


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TABLE 4—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 SECTOR ALLOCATIONS AND SEASONAL ALLOWANCES OF THE BSAI 1 PACIFIC COD

TAC—Continued 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector Percent 

2024 and 2025 

share of gear 

sector total 

2024 and 2025 

share of 

sector total 

2024 and 2025 seasonal allowances 

Season Amount 

Bering Sea CDQ .............................................................................................. n/a 13,193 n/a See § 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) ...... n/a 

Bering Sea non-CDQ TAC .............................................................................. n/a 110,102 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Total Aleutian Islands TAC .............................................................................. n/a 8,425 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Aleutian Islands CDQ ...................................................................................... n/a 901 n/a See § 679.20(a)(7)(i)(B) ...... n/a 

Aleutian Islands non-CDQ TAC ....................................................................... n/a 7,524 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Western Aleutians Islands Limit ...................................................................... n/a 1,323 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Total BSAI non-CDQ TAC 1 ............................................................................. 100.0 117,626 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Total hook-and-line/pot gear ............................................................................ 60.8 71,517 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line/pot ICA2 ................................................................................... n/a n/a 500 n/a ....................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line/pot sub-total .............................................................................. n/a 71,017 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

Hook-and-line catcher/processors ................................................................... 48.7 n/a 56,883 n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 1–Jun 10 ...................... 29,011 

B-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jun 10–Dec 31 ................... 27,873 

Hook-and-line catcher vessels ≥60 ft LOA ...................................................... 0.2 n/a 234 n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 1–Jun 10 ...................... 119 

B-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jun 10–Dec 31 ................... 114 

Pot catcher/processors .................................................................................... 1.5 n/a 1,752 n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 1–Jun 10 ...................... 894 

B-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Sept 1–Dec 31 .................... 859 

Pot catcher vessels ≥60 ft LOA ....................................................................... 8.4 n/a 9,812 n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 1–Jun 10 ...................... 5,004 

B-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Sept 1–Dec 31 .................... 4,808 

Catcher vessels <60 ft LOA using hook-and-line or pot gear ......................... 2.0 n/a 2,336 n/a ....................................... n/a 

Trawl catcher vessels 3 .................................................................................... 22.1 25,995 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-Season ICA .................................................................................................. .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 1,500 

A-season PCTC ............................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 17,737 

B-season ICA ................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 700 

B-season PCTC ............................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 2,159 

C-season trawl catcher vessels ....................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jun 10–Nov 1 ..................... 3,899 

AFA trawl catcher/processors .......................................................................... 2.3 2,705 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 2,029 

B-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 676 

C-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jun 10–Nov 1 ..................... ..............

Amendment 80 ................................................................................................. 13.4 15,762 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 20–Apr 1 ...................... 11,821 

B-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Apr 1–Jun 10 ...................... 3,940 

C-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jun 10–Dec 31 ................... ..............

Jig ..................................................................................................................... 1.4 1,647 n/a n/a ....................................... n/a 

A-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Jan 1–Apr 30 ...................... 988 

B-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Apr 30–Aug 31 ................... 329 

C-season .......................................................................................................... .............. .......................... .......................... Aug 31–Dec 31 ................... 329 

1The sector allocations and seasonal allowances for BSAI Pacific cod TAC are based on the sum of the BS and AI Pacific cod TACs, after subtraction of the reserves for the CDQ Program. If the TAC for Pacific cod in either the BS or AI is or will be reached, then directed fishing will be prohibited for non-CDQ Pacific cod in 

that subarea, even if a BSAI allowance remains (§ 679.20(d)(1)(iii)). 2The ICA for the hook-and-line and pot sectors will be deducted from the aggregate portion of Pacific cod TAC allocated to the hook-and-line and pot sectors. The 

Regional Administrator proposes an ICA of 500 mt based on anticipated incidental catch by these sectors in other fisheries. 3The A and B season trawl CV Pacific cod allocation will be allocated to the Pacific Cod Trawl Cooperative Program after subtraction of the A and B season ICAs 

(§ 679.131(b)(1)). The Regional Administrator proposes for the A and B seasons ICAs of 1,500 mt and 700 mt, respectively, to account for projected incidental catch 

of Pacific cod by trawl catcher vessels engaged in directed fishing for groundfish other than PCTC Program Pacific cod. 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Sablefish Gear Allocation 

Section 679.20(a)(4)(iii) and (iv) 

require allocation of sablefish TAC for 

the BS and AI between trawl gear and 

fixed gear. Gear allocations of the 

sablefish TAC for the BS are 50 percent 

for trawl gear and 50 percent for fixed 

gear. Gear allocations of the TAC for the 

AI are 25 percent for trawl gear and 75 

percent for fixed gear. Section 

679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B) requires that NMFS 

apportion 20 percent of the fixed gear 

allocation of sablefish TAC to the CDQ 

reserve for each subarea. Also, 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(D)(1) requires that 7.5 

percent of the trawl gear allocation of 

sablefish TAC from the nonspecified 

reserve, established under 

§ 679.20(b)(1)(i), be apportioned to the 

CDQ reserve. The Council 

recommended that only trawl sablefish 

TAC be established biennially. The 

harvest specifications for the fixed gear 

sablefish Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) 

fisheries are limited to the 2024 fishing 

year to ensure those fisheries are 

conducted concurrently with the halibut 

IFQ fishery. Concurrent sablefish and 

halibut IFQ fisheries reduce the 

potential for discards of halibut and 

sablefish in those fisheries. The 

sablefish IFQ fisheries remain closed at 

the beginning of each fishing year until 

the final harvest specifications for the 

sablefish IFQ fisheries are in effect. 

Table 5 lists the proposed 2024 and 

2025 gear allocations of the sablefish 

TAC and CDQ reserve amounts. 


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TABLE 5—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 GEAR SHARES AND CDQ RESERVE OF BSAI SABLEFISH TACS 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Subarea and gear Percent 

of TAC 

2024 share 

of TAC 

2024 

ITAC 1

2024 CDQ 

reserve 

2025 share 

of TAC 

2025 

ITAC 

2025 CDQ 

reserve 

Bering Sea: 

Trawl gear ..................................................... 50 4,838 4,112 363 4,838 4,112 363 

Fixed gear 2 ................................................... 50 4,838 n/a 968 n/a n/a n/a 

Total ....................................................... 100 9,676 4,112 1,330 4,838 4,112 363 

Aleutian Islands: 

Trawl gear ..................................................... 25 2,448 2,081 184 2,448 2,081 184 

Fixed gear 2 ................................................... 75 7,345 n/a 1,469 n/a n/a n/a 

Total ....................................................... 100 9,793 2,081 1,653 2,448 2,081 184 

1For the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using trawl gear, 15 percent of TAC is apportioned to the nonspecified reserve (§ 679.20(b)(1)(i)). 

The ITAC for vessels using trawl gear is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of this reserve. In the BS and AI, 7.5 percent of the trawl 

gear allocation of TAC is assigned from the nonspecified reserve to the CDQ reserve (§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(D)(1)). 2For the sablefish TAC allocated to vessels using fixed gear, 20 percent of the allocated TAC for the BS and AI is reserved for use by CDQ 

participants (§ 679.20(b)(1)(ii)(B)). The ITAC for vessels using fixed gear is the remainder of the TAC after the subtraction of the CDQ reserve. 

The Council recommended that specifications for the fixed gear sablefish IFQ fisheries be limited to 1 year. 

Note: Seasonal or sector apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

Allocation of the AI Pacific Ocean 

Perch, and BSAI Flathead Sole, Rock 

Sole, and Yellowfin Sole TACs 

Section 679.20(a)(10)(i) and (ii) 

require that NMFS allocate AI Pacific 

ocean perch, and BSAI flathead sole, 

rock sole, and yellowfin sole TACs 

between the Amendment 80 sector and 

the BSAI trawl limited access sector, 

after subtracting 10.7 percent for the 

CDQ reserves and amounts for ICAs for 

the BSAI trawl limited access sector and 

vessels using non-trawl gear. The 

allocation of the ITACs for AI Pacific 

ocean perch, and BSAI flathead sole, 

rock sole, and yellowfin sole to the 

Amendment 80 sector is established in 

accordance with tables 33 and 34 to 50 

CFR part 679 and in § 679.91. 

One Amendment 80 cooperative has 

been formed for the 2024 fishing year. 

Because all Amendment 80 vessels are 

part of the sole cooperative, no 

allocation to the Amendment 80 limited 

access sector is required for 2024. The 

2025 allocations for Amendment 80 

species between Amendment 80 

cooperatives and the Amendment 80 

limited access sector will not be known 

until eligible participants apply for 

participation in the program by 

November 1, 2024. NMFS will post the 

2025 Amendment 80 cooperatives and 

Amendment 80 limited access sector 

allocations on the Alaska Region 

website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska prior to the start of the 

fishing year on January 1, 2025, based 

on the harvest specifications effective 

on that date. Table 6 lists the proposed 

2024 and 2025 allocations of the AI 

Pacific ocean perch, and BSAI flathead 

sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole TACs. 

TABLE 6—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUOTA (CDQ) RESERVES, INCIDENTAL CATCH

AMOUNTS (ICAS), AND AMENDMENT 80 ALLOCATIONS OF THE ALEUTIAN ISLANDS PACIFIC OCEAN PERCH, AND BSAI 

FLATHEAD SOLE, ROCK SOLE, AND YELLOWFIN SOLE TACS

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector 

2024 and 2025 allocations 

Pacific ocean perch Flathead 

sole 

Rock 

sole 

Yellowfin 

sole Eastern 

Aleutian 

district 

Central 

Aleutian 

district 

Western 

Aleutian 

district BSAI BSAI BSAI 

TAC .................................................................................. 8,013 5,551 13,000 35,500 66,000 230,656 

CDQ ................................................................................. 857 594 1,391 3,799 7,062 24,680 

ICA ................................................................................... 100 60 10 3,000 6,000 4,000 

BSAI trawl limited access ................................................ 706 490 232 .................... .................... 45,733 

Amendment 80 1 .............................................................. 6,350 4,407 11,367 28,702 52,938 156,243 

1The 2025 allocations between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not be known until eligible participants apply for participation in the program by November 1, 2024. 

Section 679.2 defines the ABC surplus 

for flathead sole, rock sole, and 

yellowfin sole as the difference between 

the annual ABC and TAC for each 

species. Section 679.20(b)(1)(iii) 

establishes ABC reserves for flathead 

sole, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. The 

ABC surpluses and the ABC reserves are 

necessary to mitigate the operational 

variability, environmental conditions, 

and economic factors that may constrain 

the CDQ groups and the Amendment 80 

cooperatives from fully harvesting their 

allocations and to improve the 

likelihood of achieving and 

maintaining, on a continuing basis, the 

optimum yield in the BSAI groundfish 

fisheries. NMFS, after consultation with 

the Council, may set the ABC reserve at 

or below the ABC surplus for each 

species, thus maintaining the TAC at or 

below ABC limits. An amount equal to 

10.7 percent of the ABC reserves will be 

allocated as CDQ ABC reserves for 


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flathead sole, rock sole, and yellowfin 

sole. Section 679.31(b)(4) establishes the 

annual allocations of CDQ ABC reserves 

among the CDQ groups. The 

Amendment 80 ABC reserves are the 

ABC reserves minus the CDQ ABC 

reserves. Section 679.91(i)(2) establishes 

each Amendment 80 cooperative ABC 

reserves to be the ratio of each 

cooperatives’ quota share units and the 

total Amendment 80 quota share units, 

multiplied by the Amendment 80 ABC 

reserve for each respective species. 

Table 7 lists the proposed 2024 and 

2025 ABC surplus and ABC reserves for 

BSAI flathead sole, rock sole, and 

yellowfin sole. 

TABLE 7—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 1 ABC SURPLUS, ABC RESERVES, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT QUOTA (CDQ) 

ABC RESERVES, AND AMENDMENT 80 ABC RESERVES IN THE BSAI FOR FLATHEAD SOLE, ROCK SOLE, AND YELLOWFIN SOLE

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Sector Flathead 

sole 

Rock 

sole 

Yellowfin 

sole 

ABC .......................................................................................................................................................... 66,927 119,969 462,890 

TAC .......................................................................................................................................................... 35,500 66,000 230,656 

ABC surplus ............................................................................................................................................. 31,427 53,969 232,234 

ABC reserve ............................................................................................................................................ 31,427 53,969 232,234 

CDQ ABC reserve ................................................................................................................................... 3,363 5,775 24,849 

Amendment 80 ABC reserve ................................................................................................................... 28,064 48,194 207,385 

1The 2025 allocations between Amendment 80 cooperatives and the Amendment 80 limited access sector will not be known until eligible participants apply for participation in the program by November 1, 2024. 

Proposed PSC Limits for Halibut, 

Salmon, Crab, and Herring 

Section 679.21(b), (e), (f), and (g) set 

forth the BSAI PSC limits. Pursuant to 

§ 679.21(b)(1), the annual BSAI halibut 

PSC limits total 3,515 mt. Section 

679.21(b)(1) allocates 315 mt of the 

halibut PSC limit as the PSQ reserve for 

use by the groundfish CDQ Program, 

1,745 mt of the halibut PSC limit for the 

Amendment 80 sector, 745 mt of the 

halibut PSC limit for the BSAI trawl 

limited access sector, and 710 mt of the 

halibut PSC limit for the BSAI non-trawl 

sector. 

Under Amendment 123 and its 

implementing regulations, the annual 

BSAI halibut PSC limit for the CDQ 

Program (315 mt), BSAI trawl limited 

access sector (745 mt), and BSAI nontrawl sector (710 mt) will total 1,770 mt 

(these individual halibut PSC limits are 

unchanged). An additional amount of 

BSAI halibut PSC limit for the 

Amendment 80 sector will be 

determined annually based on the most 

recent halibut abundance estimates from 

the IPHC setline survey index and the 

NMFS AFSC Eastern Bering Sea shelf 

trawl survey index. The 2023 AFSC 

Eastern Bering Sea shelf trawl survey 

index estimate of halibut abundance is 

170,238 mt and is above the threshold 

level of 150,000 mt. The IPHC setline 

survey index is unknown at this time 

but will be available by December 2023. 

NMFS will calculate the Amendment 80 

sector halibut PSC limit and the total 

halibut PSC limit in the final 2024 and 

2025 harvest specifications. 

Section 679.21(b)(1)(iii)(A) and (B) 

require apportionment of the BSAI nontrawl halibut PSC limit into PSC 

allowances among six fishery categories, 

and §§ 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(A) and (B), 

(e)(3)(i)(B), and (e)(3)(iv) require 

apportionment of the BSAI trawl limited 

access sector’s halibut and crab PSC 

limits into PSC allowances among seven 

fishery categories. Tables 10 and 11 list 

the proposed fishery PSC allowances for 

the BSAI trawl limited access sector 

fisheries, and Table 12 lists the 

proposed fishery PSC allowances for the 

non-trawl fisheries. 

Pursuant to Section 3.6 of the FMP, 

the Council recommends, and NMFS 

proposes, that certain specified nontrawl fisheries be exempt from the 

halibut PSC limit. As in past years, after 

consultation with the Council, NMFS 

proposes to exempt the pot gear fishery, 

the jig gear fishery, and the sablefish 

IFQ hook-and-line gear fishery 

categories from halibut bycatch 

restrictions because (1) the pot gear 

fisheries have low halibut bycatch 

mortality; (2) NMFS estimates halibut 

mortality for the jig gear fleet to be 

negligible because of the small size of 

the fishery and the selectivity of the 

gear; and (3) the sablefish and halibut 

IFQ fisheries have low halibut bycatch 

mortality because the IFQ Program 

requires legal-size halibut to be retained 

by vessels using fixed gear if a halibut 

IFQ permit holder or a hired master is 

aboard and is holding unused halibut 

IFQ for that vessel category and the IFQ 

regulatory area in which the vessel is 

operating (§ 679.7(f)(11)). 

As of November 8, 2023, total 

groundfish catch for the pot gear fishery 

in the BSAI was 18,036 mt, with an 

associated halibut bycatch mortality of 9 

mt. The 2023 jig gear fishery harvested 

less than 1 mt of groundfish. Most 

vessels in the jig gear fleet are exempt 

from observer coverage requirements. 

As a result, observer data are not 

available on halibut bycatch in the jig 

gear fishery. As mentioned above, 

NMFS estimates a negligible amount of 

halibut bycatch mortality because of the 

selective nature of jig gear and the low 

mortality rate of halibut caught with jig 

gear and released. 

Under § 679.21(f)(2), NMFS annually 

allocates portions of either 33,318, 

45,000, 47,591, or 60,000 Chinook 

salmon PSC limits among the AFA 

sectors, depending on past bycatch 

performance, on whether Chinook 

salmon bycatch incentive plan 

agreements (IPA) are formed, and on 

whether NMFS determines it is a low 

Chinook salmon abundance year. NMFS 

will determine that it is a low Chinook 

salmon abundance year when 

abundance of Chinook salmon in 

western Alaska is less than or equal to 

250,000 Chinook salmon. The State 

provides to NMFS an estimate of 

Chinook salmon abundance using the 3- 

System Index for western Alaska, based 

on the Kuskokwim, Unalakleet, and 

Upper Yukon aggregate stock grouping. 

If an AFA sector participates in an 

approved IPA and has not exceeded its 

performance standard under 

§ 679.21(f)(6), and if it is not a low 

Chinook salmon abundance year, then 

NMFS will allocate a portion of the 

60,000 Chinook salmon PSC limit to 

that sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(A). If no IPA is 

approved, or if the sector has exceeded 

its performance standard under 

§ 679.21(f)(6), and if it is not a low 

abundance year, then NMFS will 

allocate a portion of the 47,591 Chinook 

salmon PSC limit to that sector as 


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specified in § 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(C). If an 

AFA sector participates in an approved 

IPA and has not exceeded its 

performance standard under 

§ 679.21(f)(6) in a low abundance year, 

then NMFS will allocate a portion of the 

45,000 Chinook salmon PSC limit to 

that sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(B). If no IPA is 

approved, or if the sector has exceeded 

its performance standard under 

§ 679.21(f)(6), and if in a low abundance 

year, then NMFS will allocate a portion 

of the 33,318 Chinook salmon PSC limit 

to that sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(D). 

NMFS has determined that 2023 was 

a low Chinook salmon abundance year, 

based on the State’s estimate that 

Chinook salmon abundance in western 

Alaska is less than 250,000 Chinook 

salmon. Therefore, in 2024, the Chinook 

salmon PSC limit is 45,000 Chinook 

salmon, allocated to each sector as 

specified in § 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(B). 

The AFA sector Chinook salmon PSC 

allocations are also seasonally 

apportioned with 70 percent of the 

allocation for the A season pollock 

fishery, and 30 percent of the allocation 

for the B season pollock fishery 

(§§ 679.21(f)(3)(i) and 679.23(e)(2)). In 

2024, the Chinook salmon bycatch 

performance standard under 

§ 679.21(f)(6) is 33,318 Chinook salmon, 

allocated to each sector as specified in 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(D). If a sector exceeds 

its Chinook salmon bycatch 

performance standard in any three of 

seven consecutive years, that sector’s 

allocation is reduced to the amount 

allocated under the Chinook salmon 

bycatch performance standard at 

§ 679.21(f)(3)(iii)(C)–(D). NMFS 

publishes the approved IPAs and the 

Chinook salmon PSC allocations and 

reports at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska. 

Section 679.21(g)(2)(i) specifies 700 

fish as the 2024 and 2025 Chinook 

salmon PSC limit for the AI pollock 

fishery. Section 679.21(g)(2)(ii) allocates 

7.5 percent, or 53 Chinook salmon, as 

the AI PSQ reserve for the CDQ 

Program, and allocates the remaining 

647 Chinook salmon to the non-CDQ 

fisheries. 

Section 679.21(f)(14)(i) specifies 

42,000 fish as the 2024 and 2025 nonChinook salmon PSC limit for vessels 

using trawl gear from August 15 through 

October 14 in the Catcher Vessel 

Operational Area (CVOA). Section 

679.21(f)(14)(ii) allocates 10.7 percent, 

or 4,494 non-Chinook salmon, in the 

CVOA as the PSQ reserve for the CDQ 

Program and allocates the remaining 

37,506 non-Chinook salmon in the 

CVOA to the non-CDQ fisheries. Section 

679.21(f)(14)(iv) exempts from closures 

in the Chum Salmon Savings Area trawl 

vessels participating in directed fishing 

for pollock and operating under an IPA 

approved by NMFS. 

PSC limits for crab and herring are 

specified annually based on abundance 

and spawning biomass. 

Based on the most recent (2023) 

survey data, the red king crab mature 

female abundance is estimated at 11.054 

million red king crabs, and the effective 

spawning biomass is estimated at 20.055 

million lbs (9,320 mt). Based on the 

criteria set out at § 679.21(e)(1)(i), the 

calculated 2024 and 2025 PSC limit of 

red king crab in Zone 1 for trawl gear 

is 97,000 animals. This limit derives 

from the mature female abundance 

estimate above 8.4 million mature red 

king crab and an effective spawning 

biomass between 14.5 and 55 million 

lbs. 

Section 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(2) 

establishes criteria under which NMFS 

must specify, after consultation with the 

Council, an annual red king crab 

bycatch limit for the Red King Crab 

Savings Subarea (RKCSS) if the State 

has established a GHL fishery for red 

king crab in the Bristol Bay area in the 

previous year. The regulations limit the 

RKCSS red king crab bycatch limit to 25 

percent of the red king crab PSC limit, 

based on the need to optimize the 

groundfish harvest relative to red king 

crab bycatch. In October 2023, the 

Council recommended, and NMFS 

proposes, that the RKCSS red king crab 

bycatch limit for 2024 and 2025 be 

equal to 25 percent of the red king crab 

PSC limit (Table 9). 

Based on the most recent (2023) 

survey data from the NMFS annual 

bottom trawl survey, Tanner crab 

(Chionoecetes bairdi) abundance is 

estimated at 730 million animals. 

Pursuant to criteria set out at 

§ 679.21(e)(1)(ii), the calculated 2024 

and 2025 C. bairdi crab PSC limit for 

trawl gear is 980,000 animals in Zone 1, 

and 2,970,000 animals in Zone 2. The 

limit in Zone 1 is based on the total 

abundance of C. bairdi (estimated at 730 

million animals), which is greater than 

400 million animals. The limit in Zone 

2 is based on the total abundance of C. 

bairdi (estimated at 730 million 

animals), which is greater than 400 

million animals. 

Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(iii), the PSC 

limit for trawl gear for snow crab (C. 

opilio) is based on total abundance as 

indicated by the NMFS annual bottom 

trawl survey. The C. opilio crab PSC 

limit in the C. opilio bycatch limitation 

zone (COBLZ) is set at 0.1133 percent of 

the Bering Sea abundance index minus 

150,000 crabs, unless a minimum or 

maximum PSC limit applies. Based on 

the most recent (2023) survey estimate 

of 1.142 billion animals, the calculated 

C. opilio crab PSC limit is 1,143,886 

animals. Because 0.1133 percent 

multiplied by the total abundance is less 

than 4.5 million animals, the minimum 

PSC limit applies, and the PSC limit 

will be 4.350 million animals. 

Pursuant to § 679.21(e)(1)(v), the PSC 

limit of Pacific herring caught while 

conducting any trawl operation for BSAI 

groundfish is 1 percent of the annual 

eastern Bering Sea herring biomass. Due 

to the lack of new information as of 

October 2023 regarding herring PSC 

limits and apportionments, the Council 

recommended, and NMFS proposes, 

basing the proposed 2024 and 2025 

herring PSC limits and apportionments 

on the 2022 survey data. Based on the 

2022 survey data, the best current 

estimate of 2024 and 2025 herring 

biomass is 344,379 mt. This amount was 

developed by the Alaska Department of 

Fish and Game based on biomass for 

spawning aggregations. Therefore, the 

herring PSC limit proposed for 2024 and 

2025 is 3,444 mt for all trawl gear as 

listed in Tables 8 and 9. The Council 

and NMFS will reconsider the proposed 

herring PSC limit if updated survey data 

and information on biomass becomes 

available. 

Section 679.21(e)(3)(i)(A)(1) allocates 

10.7 percent of each trawl gear PSC 

limit specified for crab as a PSQ reserve 

for use by the groundfish CDQ Program. 

Section 679.21(e)(3)(i)(A) requires that 

crab PSQ reserves be subtracted from 

the total trawl PSC limits. The crab and 

halibut PSC limits assigned to the 

Amendment 80 and BSAI trawl limited 

access sectors are listed in table 35 to 50 

CFR part 679. The resulting proposed 

2024 and 2025 allocations of crab and 

halibut PSC limits to CDQ PSQ, the 

Amendment 80 sector, and the BSAI 

trawl limited access sector are listed in 

table 8. Pursuant to §§ 679.21(b)(1)(i), 

679.21(e)(3)(vi), and 679.91(d) through 

(f), crab and halibut trawl PSC limits 

assigned to the Amendment 80 sector 

are then further allocated to 

Amendment 80 cooperatives as 

cooperative quotas. Crab and halibut 

PSC cooperative quotas assigned to 

Amendment 80 cooperatives are not 

allocated to specific fishery categories. 

One Amendment 80 cooperative has 

been formed for the 2024 fishing year. 

Because all Amendment 80 vessels are 

part of the sole cooperative, no PSC 

limit allocation to the Amendment 80 

limited access sector is required for 

2024. The 2025 PSC limit allocations 

between Amendment 80 cooperatives 


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and the Amendment 80 limited access 

sector will not be known until eligible 

participants apply for participation in 

the program by November 1, 2024. 

NMFS will post the 2025 Amendment 

80 cooperatives and Amendment 80 

limited access sector allocations on the 

Alaska Region website at https://

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/sustainablefisheries-alaska prior to the start of the 

fishing year on January 1, 2025, based 

on the harvest specifications effective 

on that date. 

The BSAI ITAC allocation of halibut 

and crab PSC limits to the PCTC 

Program is established in § 679.131(c) 

and (d). The halibut PSC apportioned to 

the trawl CV sector is 98 percent of the 

halibut PSC limit apportioned to the 

BSAI trawl limited access sector’s 

Pacific cod fishery category, and the 

remaining 2 percent is apportioned to 

the AFA CP sector. The trawl CV sector 

apportionment is further allocated to the 

A and B seasons (95 percent) and the C 

season (5 percent). The allocation to the 

A and B season is subject to reductions 

consistent with § 679.131(c)(1)(iii). The 

crab PSC apportioned to the trawl CV 

sector is 90.6 percent of the crab PSC 

limit apportioned to the BSAI trawl 

limited access sector’s Pacific cod 

fishery category, and the remaining 9.4 

percent is apportioned to the AFA CP 

sector. The trawl CV sector 

apportionment is further allocated to the 

A and B seasons (95 percent) and the C 

season (5 percent), and the A and B 

season limit is reduced by 35 percent to 

determine the overall PCTC Program 

crab PSC limit. 

The halibut and crab PSC limit 

allocations to PCTC Program 

cooperatives are not included in these 

proposed harvest specifications. PCTC 

Program cooperative applications are 

not due to NMFS until November 1, 

2023; therefore, NMFS cannot calculate 

2024 allocations in conjunction with 

these proposed harvest specifications 

(§ 679.131(c) and (d)). After receiving 

the PCTC Program cooperative 

applications, NMFS will calculate the 

2024 halibut and crab PSC limits for 

PCTC Program cooperatives, as set forth 

in in § 679.131(c) and (d) and post them 

on the Alaska Region website at https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/alaska/ 

sustainable-fisheries/alaska-fisheriesmanagement-reports prior to the start of 

the fishing year on January 1, 2024, 

based on the harvest specifications 

effective on that date. The 2025 

allocations of halibut and crab PSC 

limits for PCTC Program cooperatives 

will not be known until eligible 

participants apply for participation in 

the program by November 1, 2024. 

Section 679.21(b)(2) and (e)(5) 

authorize NMFS, after consulting with 

the Council, to establish seasonal 

apportionments of halibut and crab PSC 

amounts for the BSAI non-trawl, BSAI 

trawl limited access, and Amendment 

80 limited access sectors to maximize 

the ability of the fleet to harvest the 

available groundfish TAC and to 

minimize bycatch. The factors 

considered are (1) seasonal distribution 

of prohibited species; (2) seasonal 

distribution of target groundfish species 

relative to prohibited species 

distribution; (3) prohibited species 

bycatch needs on a seasonal basis 

relevant to prohibited species biomass 

and expected catches of target 

groundfish species; (4) expected 

variations in bycatch rates throughout 

the year; (5) expected changes in 

directed groundfish fishing seasons; (6) 

expected start of fishing effort; and (7) 

economic effects of establishing 

seasonal prohibited species 

apportionments on segments of the 

target groundfish industry. Based on 

this criteria, the Council recommended, 

and NMFS proposes, the seasonal PSC 

apportionments in Tables 10, 11, and 12 

to maximize harvest among gear types, 

fisheries, and seasons, while 

minimizing bycatch of PSC. 

TABLE 8—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 APPORTIONMENT OF PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH ALLOWANCES TO NON-TRAWL

GEAR, THE CDQ PROGRAM, AMENDMENT 80, AND THE BSAI TRAWL LIMITED ACCESS SECTORS

PSC species, areas, and zones 1 Total PSC 4 Non-trawl 

PSC 

CDQ PSQ 

reserve 2

Trawl PSC 

remaining 

after CDQ 

PSQ 

Amendment 

80 sector 3 4

BSAI trawl 

limited access 

sector 

BSAI PSC 

limits not 

allocated 2

Halibut mortality (mt) BSAI ........................... 3,515 710 315 n/a 1,745 745 n/a 

Herring (mt) BSAI .......................................... 3,444 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 

Red king crab (animals) Zone 1 ................... 97,000 n/a 10,379 86,621 43,293 26,489 16,839 

C. opilio (animals) COBLZ ............................ 4,350,000 n/a 465,450 3,884,550 1,909,256 1,248,494 726,799 

C. bairdi crab (animals) Zone 1 .................... 980,000 n/a 104,860 875,140 368,521 411,228 95,390 

C. bairdi crab (animals) Zone 2 .................... 2,970,000 n/a 317,790 2,652,210 627,778 1,241,500 782,932 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas and zones. 

2The PSQ reserve for crab species is 10.7 percent of each crab PSC limit. 

3The Amendment 80 program reduced apportionment of the trawl PSC limits for crab below the total PSC limit. These reductions are not apportioned to other gear 

types or sectors. 4 Under Amendment 123 and its implementing regulations, the BSAI halibut PSC limit for the Amendment 80 sector will be determined annually based on the most 

recent halibut abundance estimates from the IPHC setline survey index and the NMFS AFSC Eastern Bering Sea shelf trawl survey index. NMFS will update the halibut PSC limit for the Amendment 80 sector, as well as the total halibut PSC limit, in the final harvest specifications. 

TABLE 9—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 HERRING AND RED KING CRAB SAVINGS SUBAREA PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH

ALLOWANCES FOR ALL TRAWL SECTORS

Fishery categories Herring (mt) 

BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) Zone 1 

Yellowfin sole ................................................................................................................................................... 200 n/a 

Rock sole/flathead sole/Alaska plaice/other flatfish 1 ...................................................................................... 99 n/a 

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/Kamchatka flounder/sablefish ............................................................. 10 n/a 

Rockfish ........................................................................................................................................................... 10 n/a 

Pacific cod ....................................................................................................................................................... 18 n/a 

Midwater trawl pollock ..................................................................................................................................... 3,066 n/a 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species 2 3 .......................................................................................................... 41 n/a 

2024 Red king crab savings subarea non-pelagic trawl gear 4 ...................................................................... n/a 24,250 


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TABLE 9—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 HERRING AND RED KING CRAB SAVINGS SUBAREA PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH

ALLOWANCES FOR ALL TRAWL SECTORS—Continued 

Fishery categories Herring (mt) 

BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) Zone 1 

Total trawl PSC ........................................................................................................................................ 3,444 97,000 

1 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Alaska plaice, arrowtooth flounder, 

flathead sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 2Pollock other than midwater trawl pollock, Atka mackerel, and ‘‘other species’’ fishery category. 

3 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes skates, sharks, and octopuses. 

4 In October 2023, the Council recommended, and NMFS proposes, that the red king crab bycatch limit within the RKCSS be limited to 25 percent of the red king crab PSC allowance (see § 679.21(e)(3)(ii)(B)(2)). 

Note: Species apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 10—PROPOSED 2024 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR THE BSAI TRAWL LIMITED ACCESS

SECTORS AND PACIFIC COD TRAWL COOPERATIVE PROGRAM

BSAI trawl limited access sector fisheries 

Prohibited species and area 1

Halibut 

mortality (mt) 

BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) 

Zone 1 

C. opilio 

(animals) 

COBLZ 

C. bairdi (animals) 

Zone 1 Zone 2 

Yellowfin sole ....................................................................... 265 23,337 1,192,179 346,228 1,185,500 

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 2 ................................. ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/Kamchatka flounder/ 

sablefish ........................................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

Rockfish, April 15–December 31 ......................................... 5 ........................ 1,006 ........................ 1,000 

Total Pacific cod 3 ................................................................ 300 2,955 50,281 60,000 50,000 

AFA CP Pacific cod ............................................................. 6 278 4,726 5,640 4,700 

PCTC Program Pacific cod, A and B Season ..................... 244 1,653 28,130 33,567 27,973 

Trawl CV Pacific cod, C Season ......................................... 15 134 2,278 2,718 2,265 

PCTC Program unallocated reduction ................................. 35 890 15,147 18,075 15,062 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species 4 ................................. 175 197 5,028 5,000 5,000 

Total BSAI trawl limited access sector PSC ................ 745 26,489 1,248,494 411,228 1,241,500 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas and zones. 

2 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Alaska plaice, arrowtooth flounder, 

flathead sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 3With the implementation of the PCTC Program, the BSAI trawl limited access sector Pacific cod fishery category PSC limits are further apportioned between AFA CPs, PCTC A and B-season, and open access C season (§ 679.131(c) and (d)). In the first year of the Program, 2024, 

NMFS will apply a 12.5 percent reduction to the A and B season trawl CV sector halibut PSC limit and a 35 percent reduction to the A and B 

season trawl CV sector crab PSC limit. The proposed 2024 PCTC Program A and B season halibut and crab PSC limits include these reductions. In the second year of the Program and every year thereafter, NMFS will apply a 25 percent and 35 percent reduction to the A and B season trawl CV sector halibut and crab PSC limit, respectively. Any amount of the PCTC Program PSC limit remaining after the B season may be 

reapportioned to the trawl CV limited access fishery in the open access C season. Because the annual halibut PSC limit for the PCTC Program 

is not a fixed amount established in regulation and, instead, is determined annually through the harvest specification process, NMFS must apply 

the reductions to the A and B season apportionment of the trawl CV sector apportionment to implement the overall PSC reductions under the 

PCTC Program. 4 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes skates, sharks, and octopuses. 

Note: Species apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 11—PROPOSED 2025 PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR THE BSAI TRAWL LIMITED ACCESS

SECTORS AND PACIFIC COD TRAWL COOPERATIVE PROGRAM

BSAI trawl limited access sector fisheries 

Prohibited species and area 1

Halibut 

mortality (mt) 

BSAI 

Red king crab 

(animals) 

Zone 1 

C. opilio 

(animals) 

COBLZ 

C. bairdi (animals) 

Zone 1 Zone 2 

Yellowfin sole ....................................................................... 265 23,337 1,192,179 346,228 1,185,500 

Rock sole/flathead sole/other flatfish 2 ................................. ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/Kamchatka flounder/ 

sablefish ........................................................................... ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................ ........................

Rockfish April 15–December 31 .......................................... 5 ........................ 1,006 ........................ 1,000 

Total Pacific cod 3 ................................................................ 300 2,955 50,281 60,000 50,000 

AFA CP Pacific cod ............................................................. 6 278 4,726 5,640 4,700 

PCTC Program Pacific cod, A and B Season ..................... 209 1,653 28,130 33,567 27,973 

Trawl CV Pacific cod, C Season ......................................... 15 134 2,278 2,718 2,265 

PCTC Program unallocated reduction ................................. 70 890 15,147 18,075 15,062 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species 4 ................................. 175 197 5,028 5,000 5,000 

Total BSAI trawl limited access sector PSC ................ 745 26,489 1,248,494 411,228 1,241,500 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas and zones. 


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2 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Alaska plaice, arrowtooth flounder, 

flathead sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 3With the implementation of the PCTC Program, the BSAI trawl limited access sector Pacific cod fishery category PSC limits are further apportioned between AFA CPs, PCTC A and B-season, and open access C season (§ 679.131(c) and (d)). In the second year of the PCTC Program, 

2025, and every year thereafter, NMFS will apply a 25 and 35 percent reduction to the A and B season trawl CV sector halibut and crab PSC 

limit, respectively. The proposed 2025 PCTC Program A and B season halibut and crab PSC limits include these reductions. Any amount of the 

PCTC Program PSC limit remaining after the B season may be reapportioned to the trawl CV limited access fishery in the open access C season. Because the annual halibut PSC limit for the PCTC Program is not a fixed amount established in regulation and, instead, is determined annually through the harvest specification process, NMFS must apply the reductions to the A and B season apportionment of the trawl CV sector 

apportionment to implement the overall PSC reductions under the PCTC Program. 4 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes skates, sharks, and octopuses. 

Note: Species apportionments may not total precisely due to rounding. 

TABLE 12—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 HALIBUT PROHIBITED SPECIES BYCATCH ALLOWANCES FOR NON-TRAWL

FISHERIES

Halibut mortality (mt) BSAI 

Non-trawl fisheries Seasons Catcher/ 

processor Catcher vessel All non-trawl 

Pacific cod ....................................................... Annual Pacific cod ......................................... 648 13 661 

January 1–June 10 ........................................ 388 9 n/a 

June 10–August 15 ........................................ 162 2 n/a 

August 15–December 31 ............................... 98 2 n/a 

Non-Pacific cod non-trawl-Total ...................... May 1–December 31 ...................................... n/a n/a 49 

Groundfish pot and jig .................................... n/a .................................................................. n/a n/a Exempt 

Sablefish hook-and-line .................................. n/a .................................................................. n/a n/a Exempt 

Total for all non-trawl PSC ...................... n/a .................................................................. n/a n/a 710 

Halibut Discard Mortality Rates (DMRs) 

To monitor halibut bycatch mortality 

allowances and apportionments, the 

Regional Administrator uses observed 

halibut incidental catch rates, DMRs, 

and estimates of groundfish catch to 

project when a fishery’s halibut bycatch 

mortality allowance or seasonal 

apportionment is reached. Halibut 

incidental catch rates are based on 

observed estimates of halibut incidental 

catch in the groundfish fishery. DMRs 

are estimates of the proportion of 

incidentally caught halibut that do not 

survive after being returned to the sea. 

The cumulative halibut mortality that 

accrues to a particular halibut PSC limit 

is the product of a DMR multiplied by 

the estimated halibut PSC. DMRs are 

estimated using the best scientific 

information available in conjunction 

with the annual BSAI stock assessment 

process. The DMR methodology and 

findings are included as an appendix to 

the annual BSAI groundfish SAFE 

report. 

In 2016, the DMR estimation 

methodology underwent revisions per 

the Council’s directive. An interagency 

halibut working group (IPHC, Council, 

and NMFS staff) developed improved 

estimation methods that have 

undergone review by the Plan Team, 

SSC, and the Council. A summary of the 

revised methodology is included in the 

BSAI proposed 2017 and 2018 harvest 

specifications (81 FR 87863, December 

6, 2016), and the comprehensive 

discussion of the working group’s 

statistical methodology is available from 

the Council (see ADDRESSES). The DMR 

working group’s revised methodology is 

intended to improve estimation 

accuracy, transparency, and 

transferability used for calculating 

DMRs. The working group will continue 

to consider improvements to the 

methodology used to calculate halibut 

mortality, including potential changes 

to the reference period (the period of 

data used for calculating the DMRs). 

The methodology will continue to 

ensure that NMFS is using DMRs that 

more accurately reflect halibut 

mortality, which will inform the 

different sectors of their estimated 

halibut mortality and allow specific 

sectors to respond with methods that 

could reduce mortality and, eventually, 

the DMR for that sector. 

At the October 2023 meeting, the SSC, 

AP, and Council recommended halibut 

DMRs derived from the revised 

methodology, and NMFS proposes 

DMRs calculated under the revised 

methodology. The proposed 2024 and 

2025 DMRs use an updated 2-year 

reference period, except pot gear uses an 

updated 4-year reference period. 

Comparing the proposed 2024 and 2025 

DMRs to the final DMRs from the 2023 

and 2024 harvest specifications, the 

DMR for pelagic trawl gear remained at 

100 percent, the DMR for motherships 

and CPs using non-pelagic trawl gear 

remained at 85 percent, the DMR for 

CVs using non-pelagic trawl gear 

increased to 63 percent from 62 percent, 

the DMR for CPs using hook-and-line 

gear decreased to 7 percent from 9 

percent, the DMR for CVs using hookand-line gear decreased to 7 percent 

from 9 percent, and the DMR for pot 

gear remained at 26 percent. Table 13 

lists the proposed 2024 and 2025 DMRs. 

TABLE 13—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 PACIFIC HALIBUT DISCARD MORTALITY RATES (DMR) FOR THE BSAI 

Gear Sector 

Halibut discard 

mortality rate 

(percent) 

Pelagic trawl ............................................................................... All ................................................................................................ 100 

Non-pelagic trawl ........................................................................ Mothership and catcher/processor ............................................. 85 

Non-pelagic trawl ........................................................................ Catcher vessel ............................................................................ 63 

Hook-and-line ............................................................................. Catcher vessel ............................................................................ 7 

Hook-and-line ............................................................................. Catcher/processor ...................................................................... 7 


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TABLE 13—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 PACIFIC HALIBUT DISCARD MORTALITY RATES (DMR) FOR THE BSAI—Continued 

Gear Sector 

Halibut discard 

mortality rate 

(percent) 

Pot .............................................................................................. All ................................................................................................ 26 

Listed AFA CP Sideboard Limits 

Pursuant to § 679.64(a), the Regional 

Administrator is responsible for 

restricting the ability of listed AFA CPs 

to engage in directed fishing for 

groundfish species other than pollock to 

protect participants in other groundfish 

fisheries from adverse effects resulting 

from the AFA fishery and from fishery 

cooperatives in the directed pollock 

fishery. These restrictions are set as 

sideboard limits on catch. On February 

8, 2019, NMFS published a final rule 

(84 FR 2723) that implemented 

regulations to prohibit non-exempt AFA 

CPs from directed fishing for all 

groundfish species or species groups 

subject to sideboard limits (see 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iv)(D) and table 54 to 50 

CFR part 679). NMFS proposes to 

exempt AFA CPs from a yellowfin sole 

sideboard limit pursuant to 

§ 679.64(a)(1)(v) because the proposed 

2024 and 2025 aggregate ITAC of 

yellowfin sole assigned to the 

Amendment 80 sector and BSAI trawl 

limited access sector is greater than 

125,000 mt. 

Section 679.64(a)(2) and tables 40 and 

41 to 50 CFR part 679 establish a 

formula for calculating PSC sideboard 

limits for halibut and crab caught by 

listed AFA CPs. The basis for these 

sideboard limits is described in detail in 

the final rules implementing the major 

provisions of the AFA (67 FR 79692, 

December 30, 2002) and Amendment 80 

(72 FR 52668, September 14, 2007). PSC 

species listed in table 14 that are caught 

by listed AFA CPs participating in any 

groundfish fishery other than pollock 

will accrue against the proposed 2024 

and 2025 PSC sideboard limits for the 

listed AFA CPs. Section 

679.21(b)(4)(iii), (e)(3)(v), and (e)(7) 

authorize NMFS to close directed 

fishing for groundfish other than 

pollock for listed AFA CPs once a 

proposed 2024 or 2025 PSC sideboard 

limit listed in table 14 is reached. 

Pursuant to § 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(C) and 

(e)(3)(ii)(C), halibut or crab PSC by 

listed AFA CPs while fishing for pollock 

will accrue against the PSC allowances 

annually specified for the pollock/Atka 

mackerel/‘‘other species’’ fishery 

categories, according to 

§ 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (e)(3)(iv). 

TABLE 14—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 BSAI AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT LISTED CATCHER/PROCESSOR PROHIBITED

SPECIES SIDEBOARD LIMITS

PSC species and area 1 Ratio of PSC to 

total PSC 

Proposed 2024 and 

2025 PSC available 

to trawl vessels after 

subtraction of PSQ 2

Proposed 2024 and 

2025 CP sideboard 

limit 2

Halibut mortality BSAI .................................................................................... n/a n/a 286 

Red king crab Zone 1 .................................................................................... 0.007 86,621 606 

C. opilio (COBLZ) .......................................................................................... 0.153 3,884,550 594,336 

C. bairdi Zone 1 ............................................................................................. 0.140 875,140 122,520 

C. bairdi Zone 2 ............................................................................................. 0.050 2,652,210 132,611 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas. 

2 Halibut amounts are in metric tons of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals. 

AFA CV Sideboard Limits 

The Regional Administrator is 

responsible for restricting the ability of 

listed AFA CVs to engage in directed 

fishing for groundfish species other than 

pollock to protect participants in other 

groundfish fisheries from adverse effects 

resulting from the AFA and from fishery 

cooperatives in the pollock directed 

fishery. These restrictions are set out as 

sideboard limits on catch. Section 

679.64(b)(3) and (b)(4) and tables 40 and 

41 to 50 CFR part 679 establish formulas 

for setting AFA CV groundfish and 

halibut and crab PSC sideboard limits 

for the BSAI. The basis for these 

sideboard limits is described in detail in 

the final rules implementing the major 

provisions of the AFA (67 FR 79692, 

December 30, 2002), Amendment 80 (72 

FR 52668, September 14, 2007), and 

Amendment 122 (88 FR 53704, August 

8, 2023). NMFS proposes to exempt 

AFA CVs from a yellowfin sole 

sideboard limit pursuant to 

§ 679.64(b)(6) because the proposed 

2024 and 2025 aggregate ITAC of 

yellowfin sole assigned to the 

Amendment 80 sector and BSAI trawl 

limited access sector is greater than 

125,000 mt. 

On February 8, 2019, NMFS 

published a final rule (84 FR 2723) that 

implemented regulations to prohibit 

non-exempt AFA CVs from directed 

fishing for a majority of the groundfish 

species or species groups subject to 

sideboard limits (see 

§ 679.20(d)(1)(iv)(D) and table 55 to 50 

CFR part 679). The only remaining 

sideboard limit for non-exempt AFA 

CVs is for Pacific cod. Pursuant to 

Amendment 122 to the FMP, the Pacific 

cod sideboard limit is no longer 

necessary in the A and B seasons 

because directed fishing in the BSAI for 

Pacific cod by trawl CVs is now 

managed under the PCTC Program, and 

accordingly the sideboard limit is in 

effect in the C season only 

(§ 679.64(b)(3)(ii)). Table 15 lists the 

proposed 2024 and 2025 AFA CV 

Pacific cod sideboard limits. 


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TABLE 15—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 BSAI PACIFIC COD SIDEBOARD LIMITS FOR AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER

VESSELS (CVS) 

[Amounts are in metric tons] 

Fishery by area/gear/season 

Ratio of 1997 

AFA CV 

catch to TAC 

2024 and 2025 

initial TAC for 

C Season 

2024 and 2025 

AFA catcher vessel 

sideboard limits 

Pacific cod BSAI .................................................................................................... n/a n/a n/a

Trawl gear CV ........................................................................................................ n/a n/a n/a 

C Season (Jun 10–Nov 1) ..................................................................................... 0.8609 3,899 3,357 

Note:As proposed, § 679.64(b)(6) would exempt AFA CVs from a yellowfin sole sideboard limit because the proposed 2024 and 2025 aggregate ITAC of yellowfin sole assigned to the Amendment 80 sector and BSAI trawl limited access sector is greater than 125,000 mt. 

Halibut and crab PSC limits listed in 

table 16 that are caught by AFA CVs 

participating in any groundfish fishery 

other than pollock will accrue against 

the 2024 and 2025 PSC sideboard limits 

for the AFA CVs. Section 

679.21(b)(4)(iii), (e)(3)(v), and (e)(7) 

authorize NMFS to close directed 

fishing for groundfish other than 

pollock for AFA CVs once a proposed 

2024 or 2025 PSC sideboard limit listed 

in Table 16 is reached. Pursuant to 

§ 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(C) and (e)(3)(ii)(C), 

halibut or crab PSC by AFA CVs while 

fishing for pollock will accrue against 

the PSC allowances annually specified 

for the pollock/Atka mackerel/‘‘other 

species’’ fishery categories under 

§ 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (e)(3)(iv). 

TABLE 16—PROPOSED 2024 AND 2025 AMERICAN FISHERIES ACT CATCHER VESSEL PROHIBITED SPECIES CATCH

SIDEBOARD LIMITS FOR THE BSAI 1

PSC species and area 1 Target fishery category 2

AFA catcher 

vessel PSC 

sideboard limit 

ratio 

Proposed 2024 

and 2025 PSC 

limit after 

subtraction of 

PSQ reserves 3

Proposed 2024 

and 2025 AFA 

catcher vessel 

PSC sideboard 

limit 3

Halibut ......................................... Pacific cod trawl ..................................................................................... n/a n/a N/A 

Pacific cod hook-and-line or pot ............................................................ n/a n/a 2 

Yellowfin sole total ................................................................................. n/a n/a 101 

Rock sole/flathead sole/Alaska plaice/other flatfish 4 ............................ n/a n/a 228 

Greenland turbot/arrowtooth flounder/Kamchatka flounder/sablefish ... n/a n/a ............................

Rockfish ................................................................................................. n/a n/a 2 

Pollock/Atka mackerel/other species 5 ................................................... n/a n/a 5 

Red king crab Zone 1 ................. n/a .......................................................................................................... 0.2990 86,621 25,900 

C. opilio COBLZ ......................... n/a .......................................................................................................... 0.1680 3,884,550 652,604 

C. bairdi Zone 1 .......................... n/a .......................................................................................................... 0.3300 875,140 288,796 

C. bairdi Zone 2 .......................... n/a .......................................................................................................... 0.1860 2,652,210 493,311 

1 Refer to § 679.2 for definitions of areas and zones. 

2Target fishery categories are defined at § 679.21(b)(1)(ii)(B) and (e)(3)(iv). 

3 Halibut amounts are in metric tons of halibut mortality. Crab amounts are in numbers of animals. 

4 ‘‘Other flatfish’’ for PSC monitoring includes all flatfish species, except for halibut (a prohibited species), Alaska plaice, arrowtooth flounder, flathead sole, Greenland turbot, Kamchatka flounder, rock sole, and yellowfin sole. 5 ‘‘Other species’’ for PSC monitoring includes skates, sharks, and octopuses. 

Classification 

NMFS is issuing this proposed rule 

pursuant to section 305(d) of the 

Magnuson-Stevens Act. Through 

previous actions, the FMP and 

regulations authorize NMFS to take this 

action (50 CFR part 679). The NMFS 

Assistant Administrator has 

preliminarily determined that the 

proposed harvest specifications are 

consistent with the FMP, the MagnusonStevens Act, and other applicable laws, 

subject to further review and 

consideration after public comment. 

This action is authorized under 50 

CFR 679.20 and is exempt from review 

under Executive Order 12866 because it 

only implements annual catch limits. 

NMFS prepared an EIS for the Alaska 

groundfish harvest specifications and 

alternative harvest strategies (see 

ADDRESSES) and made it available to the 

public on January 12, 2007 (72 FR 

1512). On February 13, 2007, NMFS 

issued the ROD for the Final EIS. A SIR 

is being prepared for the final 2024 and 

2025 harvest specifications to provide a 

subsequent assessment of the action and 

to address the need to prepare a 

Supplemental EIS (40 CFR 1501.11(b) 

and 1502.9(d)(1)). Copies of the Final 

EIS, ROD, and annual SIRs for this 

action are available from NMFS (see 

ADDRESSES). The Final EIS analyzes the 

environmental, social, and economic 

consequences of alternative harvest 

strategies on resources in the action 

area. Based on the analysis in the Final 

EIS, NMFS concluded that the preferred 

alternative (Alternative 2) provides the 

best balance among relevant 

environmental, social, and economic 

considerations and allows for continued 

management of the groundfish fisheries 

based on the most recent, best scientific 

information. 

Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 

This Initial Regulatory Flexibility 

Analysis (IRFA) was prepared for this 

proposed rule, as required by Section 

603 of the Regulatory Flexibility Act 

(RFA) (5 U.S.C. 603), to describe the 

economic impact this proposed rule, if 

adopted, would have on small entities. 

The IRFA describes (1) the action; (2) 

the reasons why this proposed rule is 

proposed; (3) the objectives and legal 

basis for this proposed rule; (4) the 

estimated number and description of 

directly regulated small entities to 

which this proposed rule would apply; 

(5) the recordkeeping, reporting, and 

other compliance requirements of this 

proposed rule; and (6) the relevant 

Federal rules that may duplicate, 

overlap, or conflict with this proposed 

rule. The IRFA also describes significant 

alternatives to this proposed rule that 

would accomplish the stated objectives 


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Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 5, 2023 / Proposed Rules 84295 

of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and any 

other applicable statutes, and that 

would minimize any significant 

economic impact of this proposed rule 

on small entities. The description of the 

proposed action, its purpose, and the 

legal basis are explained earlier in the 

preamble and are not repeated here. 

For RFA purposes only, NMFS has 

established a small business size 

standard for businesses, including their 

affiliates, whose primary industry is 

commercial fishing (see 50 CFR 200.2). 

A business primarily engaged in 

commercial fishing (NAICS code 11411) 

is classified as a small business if it is 

independently owned and operated, is 

not dominant in its field of operation 

(including its affiliates) and has 

combined annual receipts not in excess 

of $11 million for all its affiliated 

operations worldwide. A shoreside and 

mothership processor primarily 

involved in seafood processing (NAICS 

code 311710) is classified as a small 

business if it is independently owned 

and operated, is not dominant in its 

field of operation (including its 

affiliates), and has combined annual 

employment, counting all individuals 

employed on a full-time, part-time, or 

other basis, not in excess of 750 

employees for all its affiliated 

operations worldwide. 

Number and Description of Small 

Entities Regulated by This Proposed 

Rule 

The entities directly regulated by the 

groundfish harvest specifications 

include: (1) entities operating vessels 

with groundfish Federal fisheries 

permits (FFPs) catching FMP groundfish 

in Federal waters (including those 

receiving direction allocations of 

groundfish); (2) all entities operating 

vessels, regardless of whether they hold 

groundfish FFPs, catching FMP 

groundfish in the State-waters parallel 

fisheries; and (3) all entities operating 

vessels fishing for halibut inside 3 nmi 

of the shore (whether or not they have 

FFPs). In 2022 (the most recent year of 

complete data), there were 135 

individual CVs and CPs with gross 

revenues less than or equal to $11 

million as well as 6 CDQ groups. This 

represents the potential suite of directly 

regulated small entities. This includes 

an estimated 130 small CV and 2 small 

CP entities in the BSAI groundfish 

sector. The determination of entity size 

is based on vessel revenues and 

affiliated group revenues. This 

determination also includes an 

assessment of fisheries cooperative 

affiliations, although actual vessel 

ownership affiliations have not been 

completely established. However, the 

estimate of these 130 CVs may be an 

overstatement of the number of small 

entities. This latter group of vessels had 

average gross revenues that varied by 

gear type. Average gross revenues for 

hook-and-line CVs, pot gear CVs, and 

trawl gear CVs are estimated to be 

$800,000, $1.5 million, and $2.7 

million, respectively. Average gross 

revenues for CP entities are confidential. 

There are three AFA cooperative 

affiliated motherships, which appear to 

fall under the 750-worker threshold and 

are therefore small entities. The average 

gross revenues for the AFA motherships 

are confidential. 

Description of Significant Alternatives 

That Minimize Adverse Impacts on 

Small Entities 

The action under consideration is the 

proposed 2024 and 2025 harvest 

specifications, apportionments, and 

prohibited species catch limits for the 

groundfish fishery of the BSAI. This 

action is necessary to establish harvest 

limits for groundfish during the 2024 

and 2025 fishing years and is taken in 

accordance with the FMP prepared by 

the Council pursuant to the MagnusonStevens Act. The establishment of the 

proposed harvest specifications is 

governed by the Council and NMFS’s 

harvest strategy to govern the catch of 

groundfish in the BSAI. This strategy 

was selected from among five 

alternatives, with the preferred 

alternative harvest strategy being one in 

which the TACs fall within the range of 

ABCs recommended by the SSC. Under 

the preferred harvest strategy, TACs are 

set to a level that falls within the range 

of ABCs recommended by the SSC, and 

the sum of the TACs must achieve the 

OY specified in the FMP. While the 

specific numbers that the harvest 

strategy produces may vary from year to 

year, the methodology used for the 

preferred harvest strategy remains 

constant. 

The TACs associated with the 

preferred harvest strategy are those 

recommended by the Council in October 

2023. OFLs and ABCs for the species 

were based on recommendations 

prepared by the Council’s Plan Team in 

September 2023, and reviewed by the 

Council’s SSC in October 2023. The 

Council based its TAC 

recommendations on those of its AP, 

which were consistent with the SSC’s 

OFL and ABC recommendations. The 

sum of all TACs remains within the OY 

for the BSAI consistent with 

§ 679.20(a)(1)(i)(A). Because setting all 

TACs equal to ABCs would cause the 

sum of TACs to exceed an OY of 2 

million mt, TACs for some species or 

species groups are lower than the ABCs 

recommended by the Plan Team and the 

SSC. 

The proposed 2024 and 2025 OFLs 

and ABCs are based on the best 

available biological information, 

including projected biomass trends, 

information on assumed distribution of 

stock biomass, and revised technical 

methods to calculate stock biomass. The 

proposed 2024 and 2025 TACs are based 

on the best available biological and 

socioeconomic information. The 

proposed 2024 and 2025 OFLs, ABCs, 

and TACs are consistent with the 

biological condition of groundfish 

stocks as described in the 2022 SAFE 

report, which is the most recently 

completed SAFE report. 

Under this action, the proposed ABCs 

reflect harvest amounts that are less 

than the specified overfishing levels. 

The proposed TACs are within the range 

of proposed ABCs recommended by the 

SSC and do not exceed the biological 

limits recommended by the SSC (the 

ABCs and overfishing levels). For some 

species and species groups in the BSAI, 

the Council recommended, and NMFS 

proposes, proposed TACs equal to 

proposed ABCs, which is intended to 

maximize harvest opportunities in the 

BSAI. However, NMFS cannot set TACs 

for all species in the BSAI equal to their 

ABCs due to the constraining OY limit 

of 2 million mt. For this reason, some 

proposed TACs are less than the 

proposed ABCs. The specific reductions 

were reviewed and recommended by the 

Council’s AP, and the Council in turn 

adopted the AP’s TAC 

recommendations in making its own 

recommendations for the proposed 2024 

and 2025 TACs. 

Based upon the best scientific data 

available, and in consideration of the 

objectives of this action, it appears that 

there are no significant alternatives to 

the proposed rule that have the 

potential to accomplish the stated 

objectives of the Magnuson-Stevens Act 

and any other applicable statutes and 

that have the potential to minimize any 

significant adverse economic impact of 

the proposed rule on small entities. This 

action is economically beneficial to 

entities operating in the BSAI, including 

small entities. The action proposes 

TACs for commercially-valuable species 

in the BSAI and allows for the 

continued prosecution of the fishery, 

thereby creating the opportunity for 

fishery revenue. After public process 

during which the Council solicited 

input from stakeholders, the Council 

recommended the proposed harvest 

specifications, which NMFS determines 

would best accomplish the stated 

objectives articulated in the preamble 

for this proposed rule, and in applicable 


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84296 Federal Register / Vol. 88, No. 232 / Tuesday, December 5, 2023 / Proposed Rules 

statutes, and would minimize to the 

extent practicable adverse economic 

impacts on the universe of directly 

regulated small entities. 

This action does not modify 

recordkeeping or reporting 

requirements, or duplicate, overlap, or 

conflict with any Federal rules. 

This proposed rule contains no 

information collection requirements 

under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 

1995. 

Adverse impacts on marine mammals 

or endangered or threatened species 

resulting from fishing activities 

conducted under these harvest 

specifications are discussed in the Final 

EIS and its accompanying annual SIRs 

(see ADDRESSES). 

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 773 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 

1540(f); 16 U.S.C. 1801 et seq.; 16 U.S.C. 

3631 et seq.; Pub. L. 105–277; Pub. L. 106– 

31; Pub. L. 106–554; Pub. L. 108–199; Pub. 

L. 108–447; Pub. L. 109–241; Pub. L. 109– 

479. 

Dated: November 30, 2023. 

Samuel D. Rauch, III, 

Deputy Assistant Administrator for 

Regulatory Programs, National Marine 

Fisheries Service. 

[FR Doc. 2023–26707 Filed 12–4–23; 8:45 am] 

BILLING CODE 3510–22–P 


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